Metro Transit unveiled its first hybrid bus in 2002 and recently added 60 more to its fleet as part of the agency’s Go Greener initiative. Over the next four years, 112 more hybrids will follow.
These buses deliver about 25 percent better fuel economy and produce 90 percent fewer emissions than the buses they replace. Go Greener buses are exceptionally quiet, too.
How do hybrids work? Vehicles use the most fuel and generate the most emissions when they accelerate from a stop. These hybrids use less fuel and produce fewer emissions because they draw on battery power for this acceleration. In addition, a hybrid bus harnesses energy to recharge the vehicle’s battery every time the bus uses its brakes.
The new hybrids are concentrated on routes that serve Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis in support of the City of Minneapolis’ plan to have only clean, alternatively fueled vehicles on Nicollet Mall starting in 2010. As more hybrids are added to the fleet, other routes will be served by these buses.
For more information visit
www.metrotransit.org
