Our First Hybrid Bus Arrives
It's quiet, it's pretty, and it's low to the ground. What's not to love about the new diesel hybrid bus. On June 1 we received the first of 56 Diesel Hybrid buses we've ordered from Daimler Chrysler. At $488,000 each, these buses are not cheap, in fact they are about 40% more expensive than traditional diesel buses. But, Daimler Chrysler estimates that the buses will use 1.2 million fewer gallons of diesel over a 12-year period. That's a savings of about 13,000 barrels of oil. Oil was going for $72 a barrel today.
Perhaps the biggest benefit is that these buses spew 90% fewer particulates into the air. If you've ever stood near the tailpipe of a MUNI bus, you know exactly what those particulates smell and feel like - it is nasty stuff. In addition the new buses have about 40 percent less nitrogen/oxygen emissions. San Francisco is also working to increase the use of biodiesel blends in city vehicles, so the pollution could be even less and the oil savings could be even higher.
All in all these buses seem like a good investment in a cleaner and greener San Francisco. Other cities are making the move to hybrid buses as well. New York is planning to put almost a thousand of the same model (the Orion VII) on the streets by the end of the year.
