Are Be
January 21st, 2005, 04:44 AM
Jan. 20, 2005. 01:00 AM
DICK LOEK/TORONTO STAR
Executives at Orion Bus Industries of Mississauga inspect TTC buses coming off the production line. The company, a unit of Daimler-Chrysler, a leading contender for the transit commission’s planned order of 100 to 150 hybrid buses.
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TTC orders diesel-electric buses
Vehicles use 20% to 35% less fuel for a $160,000 saving
Greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution also greatly reduced
TYLER HAMILTON
TECHNOLOGY REPORTER
The Toronto Transit Commission is preparing to spend up to $110 million on one of the largest single hybrid-electric bus purchases in North America, part of the city's continuing efforts to "green" its fleets.
The leading contender for the business is Mississauga-based Orion Bus Industries Ltd., a division of DaimlerChrysler AG, which has reserved space on its assembly line in anticipation of a 100- to 150-bus order — a boon for the company's Mississauga factory and a sign of increased demand for hybrid transit.
"Any order like that will be in the top two or three (in North America)," said Mark Brager, vice-president of sales at Orion Bus. "We're seeing the fruits of our labours beginning to benefit our customers."
New York City, which operates North America's largest bus fleet, has 125 Orion hybrid buses already in service and 200 more being built. Seattle has the largest in-service hybrid fleet in the world, with 210 buses manufactured by Winnipeg-based New Flyer.
At a cost of about $750,000 for each diesel-electric hybrid bus, the TTC order will range from $75 million to $112.5 million. A standard diesel bus, by comparison, costs between $450,000 and $500,000.
"The city has an incentive to buy hybrids because the federal government provides funding of one-third toward alternative fuel and hybrid vehicles," said Bob Boutilier, deputy general manager of the TTC. "In the end, it comes very close to costing the city less than actually buying a diesel bus."
Hybrid buses, similar to hybrid cars such as the Toyota Prius, use a battery-powered electric system to assist a scaled-down diesel engine. The diesel engine charges the battery, as does energy captured from the constant braking of stop-and-go city driving.
The Orion VII buses, which contain a hybrid electric propulsion system from BAE Systems, boast less than half the greenhouse gas emissions of a pure-diesel bus and a dramatic lowering of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.
They also offer a gain in fuel efficiency of 20 per cent to 35 per cent, leading to as much as $160,000 in fuel savings over the life of a single bus, said Boutilier.
B.C. Transit is expected to put six New Flyer hybrid buses in service this spring, and Ottawa's transit authority has expressed interest in buying 30 hybrid buses for delivery in 2007.
"When we place this order, we'll be the only one to have a (substantial) hybrid fleet in Canada," said Boutilier, adding that the hybrids — which would represent 7 to 10 per cent of the TTC's 1,500-bus fleet — would complement a biodiesel strategy already in place and the introduction of low-sulphur diesel.
Last September, the TTC began fuelling 180 of its diesel buses with cleaner-burning biodiesel fuel, which is renewable.
The commission's intention is to order the hybrid buses this spring and get them into service in 2006. But it's not a done deal. The TTC must still meet on Feb. 9 to confirm its intention to buy from Orion, after which it must go to City Council in March to get the plan approved.
Time is of the essence. "If we don't make a decision by a certain date we lose our position in the assembly line," said Boutilier.
Manufacturing begins at Orion's Mississauga factory, where the chassis and body of the buses are assembled. That structure is then shipped to Oriskany, N.Y., where seats, engines, the electrical propulsion systems and transmissions are installed.
Brager said the final assembly is done in New York because transit authorities there get significant subsidies from the federal government, which requires that the vehicles be finished on U.S. soil.
There has been considerable controversy over the true efficiency gains from hybrid buses. Seattle transit officials recently said that their New Flyer buses haven't come close to achieving the 40-per-cent efficiency gains first touted.
New York has claimed 30 to 35 per cent efficiency improvements from its Orion buses. Boutilier hinted that 25 per cent could be enough to bring even more hybrids into the TTC's fleet.
"Unless we have some really bad failures or problems in the first year, there's going to be an expectation for us to buy more hybrids going forward."
Additional articles by Tyler Hamilton
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Legal Notice: Copyright Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Distribution, transmission or republication of any material from www.thestar.com is strictly prohibited without the prior written permission of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. For information please contact us using our webmaster form. www.thestar.com online since 1996.
DICK LOEK/TORONTO STAR
Executives at Orion Bus Industries of Mississauga inspect TTC buses coming off the production line. The company, a unit of Daimler-Chrysler, a leading contender for the transit commission’s planned order of 100 to 150 hybrid buses.
Stock List
Follow up to 15 stocks with Stocklist, thestar.com's free tracking tool.
Click to launch
TTC orders diesel-electric buses
Vehicles use 20% to 35% less fuel for a $160,000 saving
Greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution also greatly reduced
TYLER HAMILTON
TECHNOLOGY REPORTER
The Toronto Transit Commission is preparing to spend up to $110 million on one of the largest single hybrid-electric bus purchases in North America, part of the city's continuing efforts to "green" its fleets.
The leading contender for the business is Mississauga-based Orion Bus Industries Ltd., a division of DaimlerChrysler AG, which has reserved space on its assembly line in anticipation of a 100- to 150-bus order — a boon for the company's Mississauga factory and a sign of increased demand for hybrid transit.
"Any order like that will be in the top two or three (in North America)," said Mark Brager, vice-president of sales at Orion Bus. "We're seeing the fruits of our labours beginning to benefit our customers."
New York City, which operates North America's largest bus fleet, has 125 Orion hybrid buses already in service and 200 more being built. Seattle has the largest in-service hybrid fleet in the world, with 210 buses manufactured by Winnipeg-based New Flyer.
At a cost of about $750,000 for each diesel-electric hybrid bus, the TTC order will range from $75 million to $112.5 million. A standard diesel bus, by comparison, costs between $450,000 and $500,000.
"The city has an incentive to buy hybrids because the federal government provides funding of one-third toward alternative fuel and hybrid vehicles," said Bob Boutilier, deputy general manager of the TTC. "In the end, it comes very close to costing the city less than actually buying a diesel bus."
Hybrid buses, similar to hybrid cars such as the Toyota Prius, use a battery-powered electric system to assist a scaled-down diesel engine. The diesel engine charges the battery, as does energy captured from the constant braking of stop-and-go city driving.
The Orion VII buses, which contain a hybrid electric propulsion system from BAE Systems, boast less than half the greenhouse gas emissions of a pure-diesel bus and a dramatic lowering of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.
They also offer a gain in fuel efficiency of 20 per cent to 35 per cent, leading to as much as $160,000 in fuel savings over the life of a single bus, said Boutilier.
B.C. Transit is expected to put six New Flyer hybrid buses in service this spring, and Ottawa's transit authority has expressed interest in buying 30 hybrid buses for delivery in 2007.
"When we place this order, we'll be the only one to have a (substantial) hybrid fleet in Canada," said Boutilier, adding that the hybrids — which would represent 7 to 10 per cent of the TTC's 1,500-bus fleet — would complement a biodiesel strategy already in place and the introduction of low-sulphur diesel.
Last September, the TTC began fuelling 180 of its diesel buses with cleaner-burning biodiesel fuel, which is renewable.
The commission's intention is to order the hybrid buses this spring and get them into service in 2006. But it's not a done deal. The TTC must still meet on Feb. 9 to confirm its intention to buy from Orion, after which it must go to City Council in March to get the plan approved.
Time is of the essence. "If we don't make a decision by a certain date we lose our position in the assembly line," said Boutilier.
Manufacturing begins at Orion's Mississauga factory, where the chassis and body of the buses are assembled. That structure is then shipped to Oriskany, N.Y., where seats, engines, the electrical propulsion systems and transmissions are installed.
Brager said the final assembly is done in New York because transit authorities there get significant subsidies from the federal government, which requires that the vehicles be finished on U.S. soil.
There has been considerable controversy over the true efficiency gains from hybrid buses. Seattle transit officials recently said that their New Flyer buses haven't come close to achieving the 40-per-cent efficiency gains first touted.
New York has claimed 30 to 35 per cent efficiency improvements from its Orion buses. Boutilier hinted that 25 per cent could be enough to bring even more hybrids into the TTC's fleet.
"Unless we have some really bad failures or problems in the first year, there's going to be an expectation for us to buy more hybrids going forward."
Additional articles by Tyler Hamilton
› Get the NEW Sunday paper! Save 50% now!
FAQs| Site Map| Privacy Policy| Webmaster| Subscribe| My Subscription
Home| GTA| Business| Waymoresports| A&E| Life
Legal Notice: Copyright Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Distribution, transmission or republication of any material from www.thestar.com is strictly prohibited without the prior written permission of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. For information please contact us using our webmaster form. www.thestar.com online since 1996.