Not to be confused with the late organist E. Power Biggs.

I sang at his chapel last week and he was on my mind.

Looks like I will ride the Blue Line to Long Beach, next time I'm in the area.

Anyone got any real info on this? Who's manufacturing the vehicles, and how exactly do they work?

Funny timing on your post . . .

While stopped at an intersection yesterday in downtown Sacramento, I got a super-sized hybrid Prius/Bus wave from the bus driver. I was shocked . . . and pleased to be following that bus!

- - - -
For Immediate Release:
January 3, 2005

City Of Elk Grove Introduces

California’s First Hybrid 100% Commuter Transit System.

http://www.completecoach.com/kfb/hybrid_bu...alf_Page_42.htm

- - - -
(Elk Grove is a suburb city in Sacramento County . . . and growing very fast!)

Long Beach Transit didn't have much more to add.

Search for ThunderVolt [edit: in buses] by New Flyer.

The bus order (in Long Beach) was announced just over 2 years ago - not bad for custom order.

So Long Beach is first, and could reach more than 50% hybrids in the fleet if all options are exercised. And Elk Grove, CA is the first to have 100% hybrids in its fleet.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jimofdg\";p=\"99363)</div>

[WOW, I didn’t know it was a pissing contest . . . but I’m game:]

April 28, 2003 Long Beach Transit Board of Directors authorized the purchase of New Flyer transit buses using a new gasoline-powered hybrid-electric drive system developed by ISE Research-ThunderVolt (ISE).
http://www.isecorp.com/ise_news/ev_bulleti...large-order.php

[June 20, 2005], E-POWER HYBRID BUSES DEBUT IN LONG BEACH AREA
Long Beach Transit super-sizes the hybrid revolution Monday, June 20 when it officially begins passenger service
http://www.lbtransit.com/events.html#hybrid

780 days from authorization to service.

COMPARE THAT TO:

June 16, 2004, the Elk Grove City Council approved a $7.3 million contract with CCW for the purchase of a fleet of 17 remanufactured Gillig buses using ISE’s gasoline powered ThunderVolt® hybrid drive system.
http://www.isecorp.com/ise_news/ise_press_...4-elk-grove.php

January 3, 2005, ELK GROVE, CA - The City of Elk Grove announced today California’s first 100% Hybrid –Electric commuter fleet when they successfully launched inaugural service with a fleet of 17 remanufactured buses from Complete Coach Works of Riverside, CA.
http://www.completecoach.com/kfb/hybrid_bu...alf_Page_42.htm

201 days

Not to mention that . . .
. . . by remanufacturing buses, materials that ordinarily would have gone to scrap or landfills, are renewed to produce structurally sound, remanufactured vehicles, resulting in a savings of several hundred thousands of dollars for each bus.
http://www.elkgrovecity.org/documents/minu...0-20-04-sp2.pdf


So yes, I guess you could say that Long Beach was first to order . . . but they paid more, waited longer, were less “green†by not recycling . . . and they started service later.

Wow, the busses have ultracapacitors, nickel sodium-chloride batteries, and FORD gas engines!
http://www.isecorp.com/ise_news/ev_bulleti...large-order.php
http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2005/02.../24/003918.html

(I couldn't find a manufacturer listed in the two articles I found.)

I'm interested in how they ride, especially if you're a Prius driver so are more able to compare both new bus to old bus and aware of how the HSD works.

I hate buses because of the noise and the smell. Diesel doesn't help at all. In fact, I think noise and vibration is even worse.

So I'd like to hear how these new buses ride. Less vibration? Less fumes? And how they handle as much as you can tell as a passenger.

Kinda neat how the bus driver knew his bus is a cousin of the Prius and gave you a wave.

Well, I feel we're over the 'hump' for hybrids and now the little snowball is going to be gaining girth and speed from now on.

BTW our county just bought some Prii for the official use fleet. I saw one Thursday when I went to the Courthouse.

When I visited Yosemite in April, I was pleasantly surprised that the shuttles that they run are hybrid (hard to miss with the giant "Hybrid" emblazoned on the side of the busses). They might be the same type/model/manufacturer.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ryogajyc\";p=\"99428)</div>

I was there on April 8th on a day trip and got the chance to ride them . . . Unfortunately they are diesel/electric and smell like diesel, but they are quieter. Unfortunately they pollute more than gas/electric models. We were hit by a freak snowstorm and the busses were chained-up, so I really couldn't compare the ride quality. I guess I'll just have to try an Elk Grove bus for ride quality.
http://www.nps.gov/yose/planning/projects/shuttle.pdf

.

Here's another article.

Long Beach hybrid buses

It doesn't say much more or who makes the bus but it does add this:

"Each hybrid bus has an electric ultra-capacitor storage unit on the roof - a new technology replacing the conventional battery used in automotive hybrids such as the Toyota Prius."

I don't imaging the buses were redesigned to be more aerodynamic so putting a unit on the roof is not as much of an issue as with the Prius. Imagine putting the batteries on the roof!

i have ridden the yosemite busses and they are the same as what has been used in Olympia, WA for nearly 2 years

http://priuschat.com/forums/album_pic.php?pic_id=716

Found out where buses are made.

Buses are made in Canada.

"Hybrid buses got significantly better gas mileage in testing, about 5 mpg versus 3 mpg for existing diesel buses, said Long Beach Transit Assistant General Manager Guy Heston.

The hybrids also reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 80 percent. NOx is a key ingredient in ozone, a pollutant whose levels in the local air basin exceed federal standards."

"Last year, Seattle converted 213 of its fleet of 1,300 buses to diesel-electric models. The hybrids cut fuel consumption by 20 to 40 percent for about 750,000 gallons per year and exhaust emissions by 90 percent."

"Heston said hybrids performed better than models that ran on compressed or liquefied natural gas. Emissions reductions were 40 percent better for hybrids than natural gas vehicles, Hogo said.

Long Beach Transit expects the buses, which were manufactured by Winnipeg, Canada-based New Flyer, to operate for 12 years. "

"Over the buses' lifetime, they're expected to cut overall purchase price, fuel and maintenance costs by 16 percent."

"The hybrids don't, however, require extensive infrastructure modifications like natural gas buses do because the they refuel with the more common gasoline.

Initially pilot-tested by Omnitrans, San Bernardino County's transit agency, the gasoline hybrids will soon be in the fleets of the Orange County Transportation Authority, Gardena Municipal Bus Lines, Montebello Bus Lines and Norwalk Transit."