The Toronto Transit system, BC Transit and UPS have something in common these days—hybrid diesel electric technology. The Toronto Transit Commission is actually about to switch away from the technology, while BC Transit intends to keep using it, and UPS is about to embrace it.
Diesel electric hybrid buses already run in Toronto, and they’re not performing as well as expected. In fact, they’re showing less than half the fuel savings predicted by the hybrid diesel electric manufacturers. They are saving on fuel, but only about 10 to 13 percent, instead of the 20 to 30 percent predicted. They’re also having some problems with some of the batteries. Toronto plans to switch back to regular buses soon.
B. C. Transit uses hybrid diesel electric buses, but intends to keep using them over at least the next year to try to get a more accurate picture of the savings they offer. They’re not having the same battery problems as the Toronto Transit system, but the batteries they use are different and a bit more advanced. The hybrid diesel electric batteries used in B. C. are nickel metal hydride, where the Toronto buses use the older lead-acid technology.
The B. C. Transit system has discovered that the hybrid diesel electric buses perform better with more efficiency on stop-and-go routes, rather than longer haul routes that seem to tax the batteries and offer less savings. The cost of purchasing a hybrid bus figures in heavily in the decision to keep them or go back to the old diesel buses. While a tax credit of $10,000 is offered for the purchase of a hybrid diesel electric bus, that’s does little to offset the difference of $225,000 per bus.
But B. C. Transit does intend to stick with the technology for now, as hybrid diesel electric buses come down in price, and benefit from new lighter weight and more powerful battery technology. After another year, they’ll determine whether to purchase more hybrid diesel buses, and how many to purchase.
Another big company about to use hybrid diesel electric technology is the United Parcel Service (UPS). In 2009 they’re planning to purchase 7 trucks using the hybrid hydraulic diesel technology, with the first two running Minneapolis, Minnesota. UPS already has what’s called its “Green Fleet,” a 1600-vehicle strong set of UPS trucks that are either electric hybrids or run on natural gas. These will be the first hybrid diesel electric trucks they’ve tested, in the hopes of using more.
Hydraulic hybrids pull energy from the braking system just as electric hybrids do, but a hydraulic pump pulls the energy instead of an electric motor, and replaces the transmission and drive shaft, making for easier stop-and-go movement and accelerating. Because UPS trucks generally stop between 80 and 100 times per day and run in urban areas with multiple stop lights, the hydraulic hybrid diesel technology seems to be a perfect fit, and may start the trend to use hydraulic technology in hybrid diesel electric cars.
Photo Credits: 1
Originally posted 2008-12-08 18:43:35. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
Saving Fuel with Hybrid Electric Cars Hybrids are made to operate in all of the same conditions and temperatures that standard automobiles are, while being powered by multiple fuel technology. The use of a rechargeable energy cell system supplements the gasoline engine for propulsion. The basic principals are not hard to understand: hybrid automobiles use the...... -
Environmental Benefits of Hybrid Electric Vehicles There are a number of environmental benefits associated with hybrid electric vehicles. Understanding what they are is one of the keys to getting the most out of your knowledge of these vehicles. Gasoline, when it is burned, is capable of producing large amounts of carbon dioxide, which is the major...... -
Introduction to the Hybrid Diesel Electric Car The hybrid diesel electric car has been under develop since as far back as early 1993 in the United States, but the only hybrid diesel electric vehicle to reach production so far has been the Dodge Ram. The Dodge Ram hybrid diesel electric car is build on the chassis for...... -
How to Compare Hybrid Cars It is hard to find a comparative ranking for hybrid cars, so how do you compare hybrid cars if you have trouble getting the information that you need? Luckily there are not that many types of hybrid vehicles on the market today, so when you decide to compare hybrid cars...... -
20th Annual Environmental Media Awards Both Toyota as well as Lexus are currently quite proud to be the presenting sponsors for the upcoming 20th annual Environmental Media Awards. The Environmental Media Awards is a star-studded event that salutes all of the creative teams that are behind film, music as well as television productions which specifically......