transportation dept. gets hybrid bus
the
big green bus - a first in Warwick, and the nation
Jul. 21, 2009 – The Warwick Valley
Central School District has become the first school district
in the nation to take delivery on a Thomas-Built Hybrid
School Bus.
The exciting culmination of a three-year long project to
bring hybrid technology to Warwick’s transportation
department took place on Tues. morning, Jul. 21 – in plenty
of time to transport students for the first day of school –
Sept. 2, 2009.
The Thomas Built Hybrid Bus is a diesel 4-cylinder which is
backed up by an electric engine and was developed jointly by
Thomas Built, Eaton Corporation and Freightliner Custom
Chassis Corporation. The bus was acquired by Warwick through
Matthews Buses in Maybrook, the leading manufacturer of
school buses in North America. According to outgoing
Transportation Director Robert Zeller, the field test on the
bus shows a 60 percent savings in fuel - equivalent to
$50,000 - over the life of the bus. Coupled with the
district’s use of vegetable oil as fuel, the transportation
department is making significant strides toward reducing
emissions, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide and particulate
matter from going into the environment.
The savings don’t stop with diesel fuel usage either – there
is also a maintenance savings with the hybrid bus because of
less wear-and-tear on the brakes and the drive train due to
the electric motor. According to the manufacturer, the bus
operates with hybrid assist at speeds up to 45
miles-per-hour. Only after that threshold is reached does
the diesel engine kick in. And although it looks just like a
regular school bus, it runs a lot quieter.
Although the initial difference in price between the hybrid
and traditional diesel-engine school bus is about $30,000 -
40,000, the cost savings (approximately $50,000) over the
lifetime of the hybrid makes up for that difference. The
school district bought this bus on its own for the
environmental benefits and the cumulative cost savings. But
the hope going forward is that there will be an opportunity
through the Federal Stimulus package to add three additional
hybrids at up to half the current price.
The mechanical staff in the district’s Transportation
Department has received an overview of the hybrid and
complete training will be given by Matthews Buses.
As a great culmination to his time as Transportation
Director for the district, Mr. Zeller was able to accept
delivery on the hybrid bus on one of his last days on the
job before retirement. “Over a three-year period,” he
explained, “we compared technology to find the best at an
affordable price when the purchase was finally made. And,
certainly, this would not have been possible without the
support of the administration and the Board of Education,
who wanted to do their part in keeping the community clean.”
BENEFITS OF THE HYBRID BUS INCLUDE:
• Reduced fuel expenditures
• Reduced CO2 emissions by up to 30%
• Reduced brake wear
• Reduced component maintenance
• Reduced noise