HybridBus
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London Mayor commits to greener bus fleet
As part of ongoing efforts to curb pollution in the capital, London Mayor Sadiq Khan today announced that all new single-decker buses for the centre of town will be zero-emissions vehicles, and that no more pure diesel double-deckers will be added to the network from 2018. At an event today, Khan also showed off the "world's first" hydrogen fuel cell double-decker, which will be trialled in the capital next year. In total, 20 of these buses -- which are hydrogen/electric hybrids -- will eventually be added to the fleet.
DesignLine turbine hybrid buses take off in NYC, could multiply soon
Capstone's CMT-380 has proven that turbines, batteries and an unconditional love for Ma Earth actually can get along within the confines of an automobile, and now it looks as if the same type of technology will be touching a lot more lives in and around New York City. DesignLine, a New Zealand-based company with an "experimental turbine hybrid" of the same name, is currently being used in three buses in Brooklyn and Manhattan, and unlike petrol-powered alternatives, these are said to be as "quiet as a tomb." They're also environmentally friendly, omitting internal combustion altogether and relying on spinning turbines to recharge a Li-ion battery that powers the wheels. If the trial goes over well, 87 more of the $559,000 buses could be ushered into operation, and you'll know one's coming due to the shocking absence of creaking, sputtering and black haze rounding the bend to your stop. [Thanks, Yossi]
Tampa Bay school gets pair of plug-in hybrid buses
From a kid's perspective, we're sure they'd much rather be cruising on the iPod-equipped bus than a vanilla version that gets significantly better mileage, but regardless, a Tampa Bay school will become the first to receive a pair of hybrid buses to shuttle students around while saving between 70 and 100-percent in fuel costs. The vehicles can be fully charged in around six hours, and while the aforementioned improvements are only so drastic for the first "50 miles or so," it's certainly not a bad start. 'Course, school district officials are hoping that fuel savings will eventually lead to more money for classroom improvements, but we reckon it'll be quite some time before the savings on fuel overtakes the up front cost of these (presumably pricey) machines. Click on for a peek at the video.[Via AutoblogGreen]
