Buses World News
In brief: Worldwide montly news & informations about Buses, Busmakers, Passengers' and the Transport Industry
VDL ELECTRIC BUSES * Europe - Double decker ones, for Transdev
* The Netherlands - VDL gets order for largest electric bus fleet in Europe
--- Dutch public transport company Connexxion has placed an order with VDL Bus & Coach for no fewer than 100 Citeas SLFA Electric. This is the largest order for electric buses in VDL's history and gives Connexxion and its parent company Transdev the largest electric bus fleet in Europe. The order also includes 18 VDL Futuras FDD2. It is the first time that double-deckers will be used for public transport in the Netherlands... All the buses and coaches are destined for the Amstelland-Meerlanden concession in the province of North Holland, a concession characterized by huge passenger demand. The 100 electric Citeas will be deployed for the bus lines serving Schiphol and the surrounding area and on bus rapid transit lines within the concession area... With a length of 14.1 metres, there is room for 86 seats. The door constructions will be adapted to the demanding public transport work. To optimize the flow of passengers and entry and exit, displays will be placed on the outside to show where free seats are still available...
(Photo: A VDL Citea-Electric double decker bus 2017) -- Valkenswaard, Netherlands - Busworld.org - 28 April 2017Labels: busmakers news Europe, electric buses makers
ELECTRIC BUSES * Europe - By Solaris Bus and Coach S.A.
* Poland - First Solaris electric buses for France
--- By the end of this year, two Solaris Urbino 8,9 LE electric buses will arrive in the French city of Frontignon, on the south coast of the country. The emission free vehicles will use the traditional plug-in technology to charge their 160 kWh batteries. France will therefore become the eighth European country to use these products from Solaris... The city transport operator, Thau Agglo, decided to purchase the buses after the positive tests of the 8,9 meter Solaris buses which took place in the city in the beginning of 2017. Both buses will be equipped with several comfort and safety enhancing features, such as air conditioning, ecological LED lightening and monitoring system. The total amount of battery buses contracted by Solaris, including the two for Frontignon, has risen to 116. That puts the Polish manufacturer in the European top, regarding the electric buses sales...
Bolechowo, Poland - Busworld.org - 30 April 2017Labels: busmakers news Europe, electric buses makers
ALSTOM ELECTRIC BUSES * Europe: Are tested in the Ile-de-France region
* France - Alstom and NTL launch Aptis new electric bus
--- As cities are looking for smarter, more efficient and more connected means of transportation, Aptis has already attracted the interest of customers in Europe... In France, STIF has decided to launch two trials, one of which is with RATP. Aptis will undergo test runs in Paris and in the Ile-de-France region during the second half of 2017... Aptis’ unique and innovative design, based on that of a tram, incorporates low-floor accessibility and 360° views... Operators will benefit from a vehicle that is easy to maintain with the longest lifetime in its category... Alstom and NTL will provide not only the vehicle, but an entire system. It includes dimensioning, charging options, road infrastructure, leasing and warranty options, Buses can be charged at night in the depot, or rapidly at the end of each line during daily operations. Fast charging is either via inverted pantograph or SRS, Alstom’s innovative fast ground charging system... Thanks to low maintenance and operation costs and a longer lifetime compared to buses, Aptis has a total cost of ownership equivalent to current diesel buses... Aptis prototypes are being manufactured in NTL’s factory in Duppigheim, Alsace, with key components manufactured by five of Alstom’s sites in France...
Duppigheim, Alsace, France - Busworld - 14 MAR 2017Labels: busmakers news Europe, electric buses makers
ELECTRIC BUSES * USA: Opening up its patents for free
* California - Why this electric bus startup it's doing? It’s part of a strategy to push back against fossil fuels
--- Proterra, a startup that makes all-electric buses, is releasing its patents on its fast-charging technology, a move aimed at accelerating the adoption of electric transportation... The company said on Tuesday that it would grant anyone royalty-free access to its patents covering its single-blade overhead charging design as well other related components. Proterra said it’s working with its suppliers to open up the charging design to third parties... Popple’s reasoning is similar to Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s explanation for releasing his company’s patents two years ago. At the time, Musk said the decision was to encourage large automakers to bring more electric vehicles to market...
(Courtesy of Protera/Photo by Ned Ahrens - Proterra, an electric bus manufacturer, has released patents on its fast-charging technolog) --Burlingame, California, USA - Fortune, by Kirsten Korosec - June 28, 2016Labels: electric buses makers
CITY BUSES * New Zealand - More sustainable ones
* Wellington - Wrightspeed is outfitting city buses, with a cutting-edge electric bus system
-- The trolly system in Wellington, New Zealand, will soon be replaced by Wrightspeed's high-powered electric engines... Enter Wrightspeed, a San Jose, California, USA-based company that sells heavy-duty electric motors that can move oversized buses, delivery vans, and even garbage truck more efficiently, with less fuel and much less noise... A former Tesla Motors founder, Ian Wright started his own company on a seemingly simple premise, applying the massive sustainability gains of electric engines to the least sustainable vehicles on the road. The company’s electric motors, battery packs, and a gas turbine can provide lumbering, multi-ton motor vehicles with 60 percent better fuel efficiency and 90 percent cleaner emissions. It was a simple choice for Wellington to go with Wrightspeed technology, which will be installed in the city’s trolleys over the next year as part of a US$30 million deal announced last week... Says Zane Fulljames, CEO of NZ Bus. "The technology enables us to reimagine our trolley buses, rather than decommissioning them" ...
(Photo: The Wrightspeed engine system)
... The Wrightspeed hybrid system—an electric motor with extensive power and torque, a computer-controlled high-tech gear box and four-speed transmission, and a battery that’s charged by a gas-fueled turbine range extender called the Fulcrum—provides the push needed to move a heavy vehicle up hills with an electric engine, while giving it the extra juice needed to last through a long, arduous route with multiple stops... Wrightspeed doesn’t work for every heavy vehicle, but for the backbone of urban transport and heavy-duty hauling, the system saves fuel costs and reduces emissions, with the more expensive upgrade paying for itself in three to four years... The New Zealand deal marks Wrightspeed’s first move beyond providing delivery vehicles, and as Wright sees it, a large new market for its sustainable technology...
(All images via Wrighspeed) -- Wellington, NZ - Curbed, by Patrick Sisson - April 29, 2016Labels: electric buses makers, public transport New Zealand
MERCEDES BENZ BUSES * Germany: Electric & Hydrogen ones for 2018
* Stuttgart - Electric and Hydrogen Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses on the road by 2018
-- Daimler Buses, one of the largest players on the bus market today, announced the approaching of pure electric and hydrogen fuel cell Mercedes-Benz Citaros... Both the E-CELL and F-CELL to be introduced by 2018, which continues to demonstrate the lead already achieved by BYD and their lineup of plug-in buses... Both models will be build on a joint E-Mobility platform and “both powertrain concepts to production standard and on the roads by 2018“... The battery sizes and charging infrastructure will be offered specifically for each tender to meet requirements of particular line. Some electric buses will be charged overnight, while others on the route, using roof-fast charging system... Hopefully Daimler should in the next few years join Volvo and BYD in global bus electrification in the heavy weight class...
(Photo: Daimler Buses Preview Busworld Kortrijk 2015 Mercedes-Benz Citaro NGT) -- Stuttgart, Germany - Inside EVs, by Mark Kane - 20 March 2016Labels: busmakers news Germany, electric buses makers
AUTO EXPO 2016 * India: CV makers initiatives
* Delhi - CV makers reveal green mobility at Auto Expo 2016
-- As India has decided to leapfrog to BS VI emission norms by 2020, vehicle manufacturers, particularly commercial vehicle OEMs, are already gearing up to be compliant before the regulatory changes kick in.
° TATA MOTORS’ electric charge
-- Tata Motors under the theme of ‘Create, Connect and Care’ focuses on its brand value. Underlining its commitment towards greener and cleaner vehicles and displaying its technological capabilities, the company displayed its first full electric bus developed in-house, the Ultra Electric... The company also revealed the Starbus Hybrid, a BS VI, commercially ready CNG hybrid bus using electric and CNG modes as fuel...
° ASHOK LEYLAND’S hybrid mission
-- Ashok Leyland showcased its first non-plug-in hybrid bus called Hybus claimed to offer major operating cost benefits. Focused on urban transport application with start-stop cycles, ultracapacitors provide the diesel motor the necessary power for movement...
New Delhi, India - Autocar Professional, by Kiran Bajad - Feb 19, 2016Labels: busmakers news India, electric buses makers
ELECTRIC BUS FLEET * UK: 1st Large-scale one
* England - London to get its Electric Bus Fleet, thanks to BYD + Alexander Dennis Limited partnership
-- Go-Ahead London has contracted BYD Company + Alexander Dennis Limited to provide 51 emissions-free, all-electric buses as part of a £19 million deal between the groups, according to a recent press release... The 51-strong electric bus fleet will, once delivered, represent the largest such fleet in the whole of Europe, making the deal quite an important one for the region, for BYD, and for Alexander Dennis Limited, hopefully paving the way towards an electric future... The deal will see BYD provide the chassis and electric drivetrains, while Alexander Dennis Limited will body the buses — using the company’s market-leading Enviro200-like midi bus design as the template... Transport for London plans for all of the London’s single-deck buses to be completely emissions-free by 2020...Previous statements from the head of Barcelona’s transit agency to EV Obsession indicated that BYD’s electric buses were competitive with conventional diesel buses when comparing lifetime costs. If that’s the case, given the tremendous health, quality of life, and climate benefits of electric buses, it seems like a given that cities should switch to these...
London, EN, UK - EV Obsession/Clean Technica, by James Ayre - August 3rd, 2015Labels: electric buses makers, electric buses services
BUSMAKER NEWS * Israel: Defence firm Elbit shifts gears with electric buses
* Israel - Elbit see strong competition in developing battery-powered vehicles
-- For two decades, Israeli defence contractor Elbit Systems has its sights set on market - electric buses. The electronics company has landed on high-performance batteries suitable for electric buses... Elbit plans to have a commercially viable version ready by the end of 2016... It is also working on a similar-style battery for a car starter motor, for which a pilot production line will be finished by the end of the year... Since buses run along fixed routes for fixed amounts of time, the key is to be able to charge their batteries rapidly in the down-time, even in the pauses along a route... The problem with supercapacitors, however, is their cost and their weight, which can be prohibitive... Yet for those that manage to crack the problem, there is money to be made: the hybrid and electric bus market is still in its early stages, but it is expected to boom over the next decade to over $100 billion a year in terms of revenue, according to IDTechEx, a group that reasearches emerging technologies... Around half of that revenue will come from batteries sales... Elbit's solution to the battery weight problem is a hybrid supercapacitor - combined with a lithium ion battery - giving it both the high energy density of a conventional battery and power of a supercapacitor. The battery will weigh just one tonne, making it less expensive and freeing up room for more passengers...
Netanya, Israel - Reuters, by Ari Rabinovitch / Pravin Char - May 7, 2015Labels: busmakers news worldwide, electric buses makers
ELECTRIC BUSES * USA: Metro Transit to test
* Minneapolis - Several manufacturers invited to bring their buses
-- Metro Transit is exploring the idea of adding buses powered solely by electricity to its fleet, and next week the public will have a chance to try them out... The agency has invited several manufacturers to bring their buses to town for some test drives... New Flyer, which has plants in St. Cloud and Crookston, will bring its Xcelsior model to the Twin Cities for demonstration runs on Tuesday and Wednesday. Buses may be showcased on Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis and along W. 7th Street in St. Paul, two corridors where electric buses could be deployed in the future... Manufacturers Proterra and Build Your Dreams (BYD) will have opportunities to show off their buses in May...
(Photo: New Flyer XE40 in Winnipeg with pantograph-type charging unit) -- St. Paul, MINN, USA - The Star Tribune, by TIM HARLOW - April 14, 2015Labels: electric buses makers
ELECTRIC BUS * USA: Proterra's
* South Caroline - Proterra unveils 180-mile electric bus
-- There are just a few players in the electric bus market right now. The two big ones, from what I’ve seen, are BYD and Proterra. BYD just recently unveiled a 200-mile electric bus and the largest battery-electric bus in the world, and Proterra has just announced its new TerraVolt XR extended-range electric bus... Offering up to 180 miles of driving on a single charge, the new Proterra TerraVolt XR electric bus will offer municipalities yet another option when it comes to replacing aging diesel buses... This means Proterra can now compete mile-for-mile with its primary rival, BYD, allowing for bus inter-city travel rather than merely local deliveries... The TerraVolt XR joins the TerraVolt FC, which has less range but can be recharged in as little as 5 minutes, minimizing downtime... Even with a smaller battery, the TerraVolt FC was able to cover some 700 miles in 24 hours, though the BYD electric bus covered nearly 750 miles in the same time... Things are tight between these two electric buses to be sure. The TerraVolt XR will take about an hour to charge in comparison, with up to 321 kWh of onboard energy storage, compared to the FC's maximum pack size of 131 kWh ... ...
Greenville, SC, USA - Clean Technica, by Christopher DeMorro - March 7th, 2015Labels: electric buses makers
ELECTRIC BUS PROJECT * Australia / Malaysia: Bustech's E-Bus project
* Queensland - Bustech secures Malaysian electric bus project
(Photo from Wikipedia: 2000 Bustech bodied Mercedes-Benz O405NH of Busabout)
Burleigh,QLD,Australia -Manufacturers' Monthly, by Matt McDonald -4 December, 2014: -- Queensland bus manufacturer, Bustech has been chosen as the lead design and manufacturing partner for a $170 million electric bus project... Announcing the project today, Bustech CEO, Michael McGee, said the project would position Bustech as an innovative regional leader in the use of renewable energy for buses... Bustech, part of Transit Australia Group, has partnered with the Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI) (a Malaysian government body), Swinburne University of Technology and AutoCRC and a private Malaysian company to develop and test the E-Bus project in Malaysia... Swinburne University is providing the electric bus technology to the project and will work closely with Bustech throughout the trials of the prototype vehicle... On the Gold Coast to inspect the Bustech facility, Malaysian Automotive Institute CEO, M Madani Sahari, said if successful, the electric bus could be exported to other countries... The first bus is planned to roll off the production line in July 2015, with trials to begin in September...Labels: busmakers news Australia, electric buses makers
ELECTRIC BUSMAKERS NEWS * USA & Canada: Proterra's - New Flyer's
* Utah/USA - UTA examining electric bus that recharges in 10 minutes. It is more expensive but has zero emissions
(Photo: A Proterra's electric bus maker)
Salt Lake,UTH,USA -The Salt Lake Tribune, by Lee Davidson -Jul 28 2014: -- The Utah Transit Authority took a close look Monday at a possible way to help clean Wasatch Front air: a zero-emissions electric bus with fast-charging technology that can operate 24/7 without conventional refueling... Proterra brought its new second-generation electric bus for inspection by officials of UTA, Park City Transit and the media. UTA says while it is examining the bus for possible future use, it has not made any purchase commitments...
* British Columbia/Canada - Ballard Power secured a contract to supply New Flyer for fuel cell buses
(Photo: A zero emission fuel cell bus)
Burnaby,BC,Canada -US Finance Post, by Asif Imtiaz -July 28, 2014: -- Ballard Power Systems Inc., announced last week that it has secured a deal with New Flyer Industries Inc., to supply power modules for new buses that will run on fuel cells. Ballard Power is one of the prominent U.S.-based companies involved in the design, development, manufacture, sale, and service of fuel cell products for a variety of applications. On the other hand, New Flyer is the company behind heavy duty transit buses... Ballard Power is scheduled to deliver the modules by the end of 2014, and the buses are likely to hit the road in early next year. These buses are about to be run under the new U.S. Federal Transit Authority National Fuel Cell Bus Program initiative...Labels: electric buses makers
BUSMAKERS NEWS * Sweden: Volvo's
* Sweden - ABB and VOLVO a global partnership for electric and hybrid bus fast-charging
(Photo: A Volvo electric-hybrid bus)
Zurich,Switzerland -TWST -July 21, 2014: -- ABB, the leading power and automation group, announced today a partnership with Volvo Buses, one of the world's leading bus manufacturers, to co-develop and commercialize electric and hybrid buses with open standards-based direct current (DC) fast charging systems... Global agreement combines Volvo electric and electric hybrid buses with ABB fast-charging solutions, paving the way for rapid deployment of urban e-mobility... The cooperation creates a city-wide standardized charging system for electric and electric hybrid buses that can charge buses quickly through an automatic roof-top connection system at bus stops or through cabled charging systems overnight...Labels: busmakers news Sweden, electric buses makers
ELECTRIC BUS MAKERS * USA: Proterra's
* Kansas - Proterra EV buses 2nd. generation
(Photo: A Proterra bus second generation)
Kansas,KS,USA -GreenCarCongress -15 July 2014: -- Proterra Inc. announced the first sale of its second-generation battery-electric bus to Foothill Transit of West Covina, Calif. Foothill Transit became Proterra’s first customer and the first agency in the US to operate EV buses in revenue service in 2010... Based on the sustainability, fuel savings and proven performance of those buses, Foothill Transit has agreed to purchase two more buses from Proterra, moving the agency closer to its goal of expanding electric bus service into other lines... The 40-foot bus features a 220 kW peak permanent magnet drive motor and a Proterra 2-speed auto-shift EV transmission, powered by and advanced LTO fast-charge energy storage system...
* South Caroline - Seneca electric bus fleet finally preparing for rollout
(Picture by NATHAN GRAY)
Seneca,Oconne,SC,USA -The Independent Anderson, by Ray Chandler -18 July 2014: -- The first planned rollout of Seneca’s all-electric bus fleet at the first of the year turned into a case of “now you see’em, now you don’t” ...Labels: electric buses makers
ELECTRIC BUSMAKERS * USA: Proterra's
* California - Proterra, aims to follow the Tesla model
Palo Alto, CAL,USA -Bloomberg News, by Ashlee Vance -June 18, 2014: -- Proterra, which makes an $850,000 electric bus, he’s got a tougher audience: municipal governments that are used to paying as little as $300,000 for a diesel-guzzler... But Ryan Popple, Tesla Motors (TSLA) senior finance analyst says, each bus requires $5,000 to $10,000 worth of juice per year, compared with annual costs of about $50,000 per diesel bus or $30,000 for one that uses natural gas. The downside is the bus runs only about 50 miles on a full charge. Proterra’s solution is a $600,000 station that fully recharges the vehicle in just 10 minutes. In March, Reno, Nev., began using four Proterra buses to cover a six-mile loop, partially charging them for two or three minutes at the end of each 20-minute circuit... Production of a cheaper, roomier, more efficient Proterra bus is slated to begin this year once the company has completed earlier orders. Popple, who has moved to South Carolina, says he’s focused on boosting sales city by city and on speeding production to fill those orders. Each bus takes about 1,000 hours to make, down from 4,000. According to TechNavio, Proterra is known within the industry for its strong RandD team, but BYD has the bigger presence abroad. China is the top buyer, so if Popple can sell enough U.S. cities on his buses, that may be the next stop...Labels: electric buses makers
ELECTRIC BUSMAKERS NEWS * China
* China-made electric bus launched in Bulgaria
(SORRY BUT BLOGGER TODAY CANNOT TO LOAD PHOTOS)
Beijing,China -Xinhua/CRI English, by Luo Dan -16 May 2014: -- A China-made advanced electric bus that can run without batteries using a cutting edge ultra-capacitor technology was put into pilot operation in Sofia on Friday... This is the first electric bus in the Sofia public transport ever, the city's mayor Jordanka Fandakova said at the launching ceremony... The vehicle is a result of the collaboration between Israeli-Bulgarian bus company Chariot Motors, China's second largest bus manufacturer Higer and China's world-leading ultra-capacitor producer Aowei...Labels: electric buses makers
ELECTRIC BUSMAKER * USA
* South Caroline - Greenville electric bus company expanding
(Photo: Proterra's commercial bus design)
Greenville,S.C.,USA -The AP/The Greenville News -19 Aug 2013: -- A company that makes electric-powered buses in Greenville says it has increased its workforce to more than 200 full-time employees. Proterra says business is increasing, prompting it to double its workforce this year. The company has installed a second production line... CEO Garrett Mikita says the company built eight buses last year. It's expected to build 40 this year and 100 next year... The company's buses have seats for 35 passengers and room for 31 riders to stand...Labels: electric buses makers
* ELECTRIC BUSES: French microbus
* France - Mia-Electric microbus to launch in the UK within weeks
(Photo: Mia-Electric is to launch a version of its electric microbus in the UK in the coming weeks)
Cerizay,Deux Sevres,France -Gizmag, by James Holloway -June 21, 2013: -- Mia-Electric has announced that its French-made microbus will launch in the UK this summer. It appears that the version of that will initially ship to the UK will be a single-seater with an optional second seat. However, Autocar reports that models with three and four seats could follow... According to the press release we've seen, the UK model will be powered by two lithium-ion phosphate batters... The vehicle is stated to have a range of 74 miles (119 km) and be fully chargeable from flat in 5 hours. Every 10 minutes of charge time is reported to grant an additional 5 miles (8 km) of range...Labels: electric buses makers
ELECTRIC BUS MAKERS * USA / China
* California - Long Beach electric buses made in America, by chinese company
(Photo: A BYD bus made in America)
Long Beach,CAL,USA -Plugin Cars, by Alysha Webb -March 12, 2013: -- A fleet of ten all-electric buses may soon be plying the roads in Long Beach, Calif.... Those buses will be produced here in the U.S.A., despite carrying a badge from BYD, the Chinese automaker... BYD was one of five companies that responded to a request for proposal in October, 2012 by Long Beach Transit for the purchase of 10 all-electric buses... BYD would begin producing electric buses in the U.S. in 2013. “Starting in 2015, the production capacity will exceed 500 vehicles” ... The price tag would be $550,000 to $600,000 each, said BYD senior vice president Stella Li... California is the likely location for the plant...
* China - BYD looks to triple sales of electric vehicles
(Photo)
Shenzhen,Guangdong,China -Busworld -22 March 2013: -- BYD Co is taking a fresh look at its green-car strategy, betting that the wider adoption of its electric vehicles for public transportation will boost sales significantly... The Shenzhen-based company, which has struggled for years to develop its green-cars business, aims to more than triple its electric-vehicle sales this year to 8,000 units, including 2,000 buses, with the bulk of the cars targeted at the taxicab industry... Apart from electric cars it has developed on its own, BYD is joining with Germany's Daimler AG, 1.13% owner of luxury-car brand Mercedes-Benz, to develop a brand new electric car, the Denza, for China...
* USA - Balqon to build electric buses in China withd SAIG
(Photo from Business Wire: Balqon Sichuan Bus)
CAL,USA -Busworld -1 April 2013: -- California-based Balqon Corporation, a developer of heavy-duty electric vehicles, drive systems and lithium battery storage devices, has entered into a Joint Development Agreement with China-based Sichuan Automobile Industry Co., Ltd (SAIG) to manufacture inner-city electric buses. Under this agreement, SAIG purchased the Balqon electric drive system for integration into a 22-foot bus chassis... The new line of electric motor controllers are smaller in size, featuring liquid cooling, regenerative braking and compliance to automotive J1939 Can Bus communication protocol...
* California - Issues roadmap for fuelcell electric buses
CAL,USA -Busworld -8 April 2013: -- Fuel cell electric buses are quickly progressing towards commercialization. With more than 80 on the road around the world, FCEBs are approaching transit agency expectations for technical performance as well as availability and fuel cell durability. Targets for performance, cost and durability, however, were not established until recently... “A Road Map for Fuel Cell Electric Buses in California: A zero-emission solution for public transit” looks at the progress of FCEBs in California and across the globe, and offers recommendations to state and federal policy makers about actions they can take to put FCEBs on the path to full commercial readiness... Two fuel cell electric bus programs are at this moment active in California at AC Transit (SF Bay area) and SunLine Transit (Coachella Valley). Burbank will also begin operating a fuel cell electric bus... The stations that fill these buses also provide fuel for hydrogen-powered passenger fuel cell electric vehicles...
* USA - Capstone receives order for 34 microturbines for Denver RTD electric bus fleet
(Photo: Capstone microturbine)
USA -Busworld -10 April 2013: -- Capstone Turbine Corporation has received an order for thirty-four liquid fuel C30 microturbines for use in DesignLine’s Eco Saver IV range extended electric buses. The buses are expected to be delivered to Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) later this year... The DesignLine range-extended electric buses are 45 feet long, and feature an all-electric drivetrain using Li-ion batteries for energy storage. The batteries are used to power the electric motors, which drive the bus, and all accessories such as air conditioning, power steering and lighting.
The lithium-ion batteries recover kinetic energy from the bus brakes via a regenerative braking system to extend the range. The batteries are recharged by the Capstone 30kW microturbine, running on diesel or biodiesel... The microturbine recharges the batteries on the fly and shuts down when the batteries reach the desired state of charge. The Capstone microturbine produces extremely low emissions and noise compared to a traditional engine, with no requirements for complex exhaust aftertreatment or additional additives... Capstone and DesignLine recently executed a new five-year OEM agreement, marking a renewed commitment to the long-standing relationship...Labels: electric buses makers
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(Photo from Business Wire: Balqon Sichuan Bus)
CAL,USA -Busworld -8 April 2013: -- Fuel cell electric buses are quickly progressing towards commercialization. With more than 80 on the road around the world, FCEBs are approaching transit agency expectations for technical performance as well as availability and fuel cell durability. Targets for performance, cost and durability, however, were not established until recently... “A Road Map for Fuel Cell Electric Buses in California: A zero-emission solution for public transit” looks at the progress of FCEBs in California and across the globe, and offers recommendations to state and federal policy makers about actions they can take to put FCEBs on the path to full commercial readiness... Two fuel cell electric bus programs are at this moment active in California at AC Transit (SF Bay area) and SunLine Transit (Coachella Valley). Burbank will also begin operating a fuel cell electric bus... The stations that fill these buses also provide fuel for hydrogen-powered passenger fuel cell electric vehicles...
(Photo: Capstone microturbine)
