INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS DESERT
REGENERATION ARIZONA DISTRICT FIRST IN STATE TO PURCHASE, RECEIVE MAINTENANCE TRAINING ON CHARGE-SUSTAINING HYBRID
WRITTEN BY ART GISSENDANER
district’s drivers and mechanics are the first in the state to receive training on operations and maintenance. On the road since 2009, the C2e Hy-
T
brid from Tomas Built Buses was the first self-sustaining, or charge-sustaining, hybrid. It uses an electric motor/generator mounted between the Eaton transmission and the engine to generate electric power stored in the hybrid batteries when the brakes are applied. Te Tomas hybrid on an Eaton drive system differs from the IC Bus Plug-In Electric Vehicle, or PHEV, first introduced by IC Bus and Enova Systems in 2006. Two years ago, IC Bus and Eaton made available their own charge-sustaining hybrid. Meanwhile, district officials said the acqui-
sition of the 78-passenger C2e keeps Madison on the cutting edge of student transportation innovation while lessening the district’s environmental footprint in an economical manner. Scott Wells, director of maintenance and transportation, said the C2e is the best of the alternative-fuel buses available. “When we originally began looking into alternative-fuel buses we looked at the (PHEV), CNG and propane, but the self-sustaining bus doesn’t require an alter- native fuel source, and we don’t have to look for charging stations,” Wells said. “Some- thing that renews its own energy is probably the highest priority we could have picked. We get a longer life out of the braking systems, so again, that’s saving money.”
he Madison School District in Phoenix is the first school district in Arizona to purchase a hybrid school bus, and the
Te key to the C2e’s efficiency comes from
its ability to use hybrid battery power to as- sist acceleration while restoring power during braking. Officials said this makes the C2e ideal for stop-and-go driving. Te smaller engine means reduced emissions when the diesel system is engaged during idling. Te bus comprises four systems: the Hy-
brid Drive Unit that fits between the engine and the transmission; the Power Electronics Carrier, which contains two high-voltage lithium-ion batteries; the Motor Inverter Control; and the Hybrid Cooling System. “It’s pretty fancy,” said Shawn Tow, service
manager at Auto Safety House, which sold the bus to the district. “Tey drive a little differently. You won’t hear any engine noise. Drivers must watch their speed because it’s made to drive and stop to keep the electrical system engaged. I thought it might be a little tricky to handle until I took the training class that we put on for Madison.” Tow said the electronic clutch is mainte-
nance free, and a dashboard light indicates if there are problems. Te bus has a six-speed manual transmission with an XY shifter that electronically changes gears based on RPMs. Normal vehicle service does not change. A blower cools the battery pack, which has an air filter that is changed every four months. Battery packs are non-serviceable and
must be replaced if there is a problem. Training classes also teach drivers and me- chanics how to shut down the electrical part of the transmission in case of an accident. Tow said the most important thing to remember is to not touch anything that is
orange, which denotes a power line. “You must make sure the hybrid is off
line before you disturb any cables,” Tow explained. “Te cables connect the battery pack to the hybrid.” Madison School Board Member Scott
Holcomb said the fact that a supporting infrastructure is not needed, makes the C2e financially feasible for school districts Madison’s size. “Madison is a relatively small school
district and natural gas, propane and other systems require you to build an infrastruc- ture to maintain those alternative buses,” Holcomb said. “We actually had that before, but infrastructure costs and the maintenance actually outweighed the benefits. Because this (bus) is self-sustaining, any small school district can utilize it because they don’t need the charging or natural gas stations. Tat’s a huge plus especially during this time when funding for education is going down.” Madison Superintendent Dr. Tim Ham said the district needed an economically and environmentally sound transportation solution that would allow more money to be put back into the classroom. “Tat was the challenge,” he said. “Is there something out there that would accomplish both of those? And of course, this is the result of that.” Ham said they will monitor the C2e’s
performance before pursuing additional purchases. Tere are several hundred C2e hybrids in use in California, Nevada, Kentucky and Maine. About 1,000 models of other PHEV or hybrid large and small school buses are in use nationwide.
32 School Transportation News March 2013
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