Transit agencies order 1,052 diesel-electric hybrid buses from Daimler

According to the company, MTA New York City Transit—which provides bus and subway service to New York City’s five boroughs—has ordered 850 buses. The order will bring the MTA’s diesel-electric hybrid bus fleet to nearly 1,700 units, making it the largest diesel-electric hybrid fleet in the world, the company said. With the order, Orion transit buses will account for nearly 50 percent of MTA New York City Transit’s entire fleet.

OC Transpo—which provides public transit services in the city of Ottawa, Canada —has ordered 202 buses to be delivered by 2009. The delivery will make OC Transpo the third-largest hybrid bus fleet in Canada, Daimler reported.

According to Daimler Buses North America, which is a subsidiary of Daimler AG, the company has received 2,600 orders since the launch of the Orion hybrid bus in 2003. That figure includes 1,100 buses already on the road, 460 pending deliveries and the announced new orders of 1,052 units.

“Daimler focuses on shaping the future of transportation through initiatives for greater fuel economy and lower emissions in commercial vehicles,” said Andreas Renschler, a member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and head of the Daimler Trucks Division. “In North America, where public-private partnerships create the right conditions, hybrid buses have proven to be an ideal solution for modern urban city transportation. With the orders announced today, we have again proven our leadership and responsibility in this field.”

Buses feature a ‘regenerative braking’ system

The Orion VII Next Generation diesel-electric hybrid transit buses are powered by BAE Systems’ HybriDrive propulsion system. The hybrid system is driven by a single electric motor that is powered by a diesel-driven generator and an energy storage unit.

According to Daimler, a majority of the previously mentioned deliveries will incorporate lithium-ion battery energy storage technology. The clean-diesel engine is smaller than that used in conventional buses and runs at nearly constant speed for clean operation and optimum efficiency, the company said.

The buses feature a “regenerative braking” system that uses the drive motor to slow the bus, effectively turning the motor into a generator that produces additional current to charge the energy storage system. The feature also reduces brake wear, reducing the need for brake maintenance.

Compared to standard diesel propulsion, the hybrid buses deliver up to 30 percent better fuel economy while producing 90 percent less particulate matter, 40 percent less NOx and 30 percent fewer greenhouse gases, according to Daimler.