GM Delievers Hybrid Buses To Louisville

[nsap]

LOUISVILLE, KY - Transit Authority of River City (TARC) set a great environmental example this week by adding five hybrid buses to its mass transit fleet. Louisville joins the growing ranks of communities investing in transit buses powered by General Motor's hybrid technology, which offers up to 60-percent-greater fuel economy and up to 90-percent-cleaner emissions.

TARC Executive Director J. Barry Barker welcomed U. S. Rep. Anne Northup, who was instrumental in securing funding for the project, along with key local leaders as they announced the delivery in a press conference Tuesday at the Louisville Zoo.

Rep. Northup, who secured a $3 million federal grant for the hybrid buses said, "The addition of hybrid buses to the TARC fleet is a significant step towards improving the quality of life for not only bus riders, but also for residents of those neighborhoods that include bus routes. Hybrid buses will help the local environment by reducing emissions and reducing noise pollution as well."

There are currently 330 GM-hybrid-equipped buses operating in North America. If America's nine largest cities were to replace its existing fleet of 13,000 transit buses with hybrid buses, the nation would save approximately 40 million gallons of fuel a year.

"GM's hybrid technology offers significantly improved fuel economy, along with reduced noise and emissions - qualities that are particularly important and beneficial in cities like Louisville," said Beth Lowery, GM vice president of Environment and Energy. "We applaud TARC for its efforts to protect the environment today, and to help preserve it for generations to come."

In addition to improved fuel economy and dramatically lower emissions, the GM hybrid system delivers superior torque, derived from the dual electric motors used to launch from a stop, and 50-percent-better acceleration than conventional diesel buses. Gillig Corp., of Hayward, Calif., manufactures the buses.

"This bus, the first of its kind to come to Kentucky, employs the most efficient hybrid architecture available in the world today, and is the first step in a larger GM initiative," said Tom Stephens, group vice president of GM Powertrain.

This is the first step in TARC's journey toward better, cleaner, more economical bus technology. These hybrid electric buses will be significantly cleaner than the 1989 conventional diesel buses they are replacing. The buses will have the same body style as the traditional TARC buses, but with a bright design and the "Breathe easier" slogan. The five new hybrid buses will be on the road by the end of 2004.

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest vehicle manufacturer, employs about 325,000 people globally. Founded in 1908, GM has been the global automotive sales leader since 1931. GM today has manufacturing operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in 192 countries. In 2003, GM sold nearly 8.6 million cars and trucks, about 15 percent of the global vehicle market. GM's global headquarters are at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit. More information on GM and its products can be found on the company's corporate website at www.gm.com. GM's corporate responsibility web site, www.gmability.com, contains additional information about GM's environmental initiatives.

[Swahili]

Hopefully as buses in all fleets around North America will be replaced by a new hybrid bus, if that's economical for the transit systems and gonvernments granting the money. This way (assuming it's economically possible) by the next several rounds of purchasing buses, they'll all be hybrid, saving gas, cleaner emissions.

[mgescuro]

I heard that San Francisco's MUNI (Municipal Transit System) will be scrapping all diesel buses in the near future and going hybrid. This will augment the existing electric trolley buses, and the Zero-emission fuel buses already in service. San Francisco will have one of the cleanest and most efficient transit systems in the country!!

[bigj]

I still think full diesel-electrics are the way to go. Engines can be super optimized to run at specific rpm set points, electric drive motors can be tailored to specific applications, and mechanical transmisson/differential losses are eliminated. Well designed electric motors and generators can operate at greater than 90% efficiency. Diesel-electric locos have been operating efficiently for decades.

[jro4566]

First Seattle and now Louisville! Way to go GM! I sure hope the come to Dallas soon...

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

And we are spending millions on ****ty "made in Quebec!" Volvo-powered buses (rather, BS'es)...

[MCGARRETT]

Does anyone have a picture of the bus? Does it look any different from your average city bus?

I hope GM follows through with it's hybrid bus program and is able to convince every major metropolitan area to convert to hybrid buses. Since a bus is on the road for a much larger percentage of time than your average car, there are substantial fuel savings that could be had. GM should get better publicity about it's hybrid buses, it would help dispel rumors that GM is behind foreign automakers when it comes to hybrid technology.


I think that GM should follow through on this and return to it's dominance in the bus market that enjoyed from the 1930's through the 1980's when it left the market, I remember pretty much every major city, Los Angeles, Ney York, Chicago, Miami and others used GMC or GM Coaches for years and years, some cities still have models from the 1960's still in service(like the bus in the movie Speed). Too bad that the bodies are not being built by GM, but who knows, if the project takes off, perhaps GM could move production in house.

[dav305z]

ive seen some GM adds on this, but they need to do it more.

they need to drive home the fact that replacing buses in huge metropolises will do MUCH more to save fuel and stop pollution then selling a few fancy looking little cars like toyota does.

[Ballistic]

How much more does these new hybrid versions cost over regular non-hybrid versions?

[montecarlolsus]

I saw a few electric busses in Chatanooga Tennessee when I visited last year. They looked the same as regular busses except they make sure people know its electric by posting it on the back of it. Here in Wisconsin I dont know of any electrics or Hybrids. How would the batteries cope with our winters?