Transit tests out hybrid bus
Technologically advanced vehicle driven by hydrogen and electricity
The "most technologically advanced bus on the planet" is shadowing B.C. Transit buses on Greater Victoria streets this month to test it out as a potential new type of vehicle to carry a growing number of riders.
Created by Proterra LLC in the U.S., the sleek blue-and-green hydrogen hybrid bus represents what could be the next generation of buses as transit organizations aim to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. Victoria is its first Canadian stop as it embarks on a tour, mainly in the U.S., to show off its abilities.
"It's an alpha bus," said Dan Raudebaugh, executive director of the non-profit Centre for Transportation and the Environment in Atlanta, Georgia.
The prototype's advanced technology puts it ahead of any other buses globally, he said yesterday. Built to be environmentally friendly, its batteries can be recharged at night by plugging it in to the electrical grid and hydrogen fuel tanks -- stored in the roof of the bus -- can be refilled.
Tanks carry 29 kilograms of hydrogen and the bus can run up to about 480 kilometres, B.C. Transit said.
Dale Hill, founder of Proterra, said that the bus gets about twice the fuel economy of a diesel-fuelled bus.
When the bus is running, there's little noise. During a tour of the city yesterday, Manuel Achadinha, president and CEO of B.C. Transit, noted that conversation was at regular levels and no one had to raise their voices.
A quiet ride "is a big issue from a customers' point of view," he said.
As soon as Achadinha spotted the bus two years ago at a trade show, he was determined to bring it to Victoria for a trial. So far, it has performed well in this environment and on hills.
This pilot project is part of B.C. Transit's commitment for the future, he said. "It's exciting to always be in that innovative state and looking for new and innovative technology."
Aside from its technological attributes, he loves its "cool" appearance.
B.C. Transit spent about $15,000 and the Canadian and U.S. federal governments each chipped in $45,000 to bring the bus to Victoria, he said.
The bus was built as a project in the National Fuel Cell Bus Program, headed by the U.S. Federal Transit Administration. Its project team is made up of nearly two dozen organizations said its website, at www.hydrogenhybridbus. com
