ENOVA HYBRID TECHNOLOGY & IC SCHOOL BUSES IC currently offers hybrid diesel-electric power
trains in the CE conventional school bus as an option. Te company partnered several years ago with Enova Systems on a long-term basis, using Enova’s propri- etary Post Transmission Parallel Hybrid Electric drive system. Two systems are available, the charge deplet- ing (plug-in) or charge sustaining system. Two main system benefits are 40 percent more fuel
mileage and regenerative braking, reducing wear and tear on mechanical brakes, while recharging the lith- ium-ion phosphate battery modules. Te engine and electric motor work together in parallel, assisting each other to drive the wheels during acceleration. When the operator brakes and the vehicle slows down, the motor recharges the batteries. Tis design can be in- tegrated into the OEM production line or retrofitted into an existing vehicle with minimal modification and no emissions recertification.
HYBRID INCENTIVE PROGRAMS Te California Hybrid Truck and Bus Voucher Incen-
tive Project (HVIP) was put in place to speed up the early market introduction of clean, low-carbon hybrid trucks. Tis program offsets about half of the extra cost of a medium- and heavy-duty hybrid vehicle. Dealers request a voucher with fleet customers
during the ordering process. Te voucher amounts are pre-set for each qualified vehicle. Te HVIP ben- efit increases the production of low emission vehicles to meet California’s clean air mandates.
THOMAS BUSES INCORPORATE VARIOUS ALT-FUEL CHOICES Tomas Built Buses offers Selective Catalytic Reduc-
tion technology on all its diesel vehicles to maximize fuel efficiency and engine performance, while meeting EPA 2010 emissions standards. SCR reduces tailpipe ni- trogen-oxide emissions (NOx) by treating the exhaust stream with a spray of diesel exhaust fluid. DEF, along with the exhaust heat and a catalyst, converts NOx into nitrogen and water vapor. Both are clean, harmless and present in the air we breathe every day. Te Cummins ISB6.7 engines (220 hp and 250 hp)
used in Tomas Built buses are certified at 0.20g NOx per brake horsepower hour without the use of emis- sions credits. Te same engines are used in Blue Bird diesel applications. In 2007, Tomas introduced the Saf-T-Liner C2e
hybrid-electric school bus that reduces emissions and improves fuel economy by up to 30 percent. Te C2e is based on Eaton’s hybrid-electric parallel system, which
is powered by both a diesel engine and an electric mo- tor/generator. Since that time, Tomas has received orders for more than 200 hybrid school buses. In 1992, Tomas launched the Type D rear-engine
HDX school bus with CNG, a low-cost fossil fuel substi- tute for gas and diesel. A year 2000 study by the New York City MTA claimed that operating a 200-bus diesel fleet cost six times more than a 200-bus CNG fleet. Tomas has since put more than 1,300 HDX CNG
buses on the road. Te HDX CNG releases up to 20 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than diesel engines. Consistent with the company’s commitment to offering its customers a robust line of alternative- powered products, Tomas said it is also working to introduce Saf-T-Liner C2 and Minotour propane-fueled school buses in 2013. “Tere’s been an amazing acceleration of clean
drive technology in recent years and this has resulted in cleaner fuels and greener solutions in the school bus industry. By 2013, Tomas Built Buses, with SCR, CNG, propane and diesel-electric hybrid offerings, will be in position to have the most comprehensive lineup of clean drive vehicles in this industry,” said Kelley Platt, president and CEO of Tomas Built Buses.
ALLISON HYBRID TRANSMISSIONS FULL SPEED AHEAD Tere are more than 4,600 buses and coaches
equipped with the Allison Hybrid EP System in op- eration around the world, providing more than 3.7 million miles of reliable, fuel-efficient and low-emis- sion service. Tese hybrid buses are operating in more than 216 cities worldwide and have saved an estimat- ed 19.8 million gallons of fuel as well as eliminating more than 197,000 metric tons of CO2. Te complexity of alt-fuel school buses translates
into a higher market price, but incentives and rebates offset the extra expense. Lower emissions and re- duced operating expenses are two excellent reasons why operators are choosing alternate-fuel vehicles. As always, training and support from manufacturers and government contributes to a smooth transition from fossil fuel power to alternate fuels. Meanwhile, on the non-hybrid side of the business,
Allison introduced the new 1350 model from its Pupil Transportation/Shuttle Series with a new safety fea- ture designed to allow drivers to concentrate more on their driving and their students. Direction Change Enable’ involves integrating the
transmission’s electronic controls with the bus to pro- hibit the driver from shifting out of neutral without first pressing a dash switch or applying the service brakes to safeguard against unwanted directional changes. ■
48 School Transportation News Magazine September 2012
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