|
|
Louisville Diesel Electric Buses Emit Less Pollution June 2005They are quieter. They get better mileage. They produce few harmful emissions. And they run like a dream.The five hybrid-electric buses that have been on Louisville streets since last fall have so much going for them that the Transit Authority of River City has requested money for 10 more. There is one catch, however. The diesel-electric hybrids cost more to buy than they will save on fuel. So until the price of hybrid-electric technology drops, Louisville will continue to have more diesel buses than hybrids, said Mike Kuzmich, TARC director of marketing and planning. Each hybrid averages 5.5 miles per gallon of fuel, compared with an average of 4.2 miles per gallon for the all-diesel buses that make up most of the 240-bus fleet, according to TARC figures. But a hybrid costs $200,000 more than a $275,000 all-diesel bus. "I don't think that we're going to recoup that difference," Kuzmich said. During the 12 years they are expected to stay on the road, he said, the hybrids will save $9,440 a year each on fuel compared with diesel, for an overall savings of about $113,000 per bus. Even so, Kuzmich said while delivering a status report late last month, the hybrid-electric buses have shown their worth in other ways since their September debut. Chiefly, they produce fewer emissions than their all-diesel counterparts. In a statement, Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District director Art Williams called the hybrid-electric buses a "forward-looking step" that, coupled with TARC's switch to low-sulfur fuel, could go a long way toward improving Louisville's air quality. TARC also reports that since going on the road, the hybrid-electric buses have needed no maintenance, beyond a regular oil change every 3,000 miles. To date, each has put about 30,000 miles on the odometer. Twenty-year TARC veteran Sharon Oliver, behind the wheel on the St. Regis Park route last week, said the hybrid-electrics offer a smoother ride than the diesel buses. "It's easier to drive, so it's easier to stay on schedule," she said. Passenger Debbie Smith said she approved of spending more money on buses to cut down on air pollution. "It matters a lot to me," said Smith, who rides TARC to and from work on weekdays. Each bus uses two electric motors built into the transmissions to get up to speed, then blends power from the electric motors with the diesel engine to keep the bus moving and charge its batteries. The buses also convert the energy from braking into electrical power for the batteries, a process called "regenerative braking." That could lead to longer brake life on the hybrid-electric buses because the vehicle slows as soon as the driver lets off the gas. Kuzmich said TARC has put in a grant request through the office of U.S. Rep. Anne Northup, R-3rd District, for $4.7 million in Federal Transit Authority money to buy 10 hybrid-electric buses. He said he hopes to hear about the request by the end of the year. A similar grant covered 80 percent of the cost of purchasing the first five hybrids. The remaining 20 percent came from local funds. | ||
|
Hybrid Car Links
|