Road testing begins for new hybrid bus
Metro has purchased this 60-foot hybrid
diesel-electric bus to test in a variety of
driving situations, including the downtown transit tunnel.
King County Metro is test driving a one-of-a-kind 60-foot hybrid diesel-electric bus throughout the county in the coming weeks. But, you won't be able to board this bus.
Instead of people, Metro has loaded it with five dozen 40-gallon barrels of water to simulate a full load of passengers sitting in every seat and standing in the aisles. This way, Metro can drive the hybrid 12 to 18 hours a day to test its hardiness and ability to handle on-the-road challenges like the Queen Anne Counterbalance and the Renton S-curves.
The hybrid articulated bus is the only one of its kind in the world. It was made for Metro by New Flyer Industries, with a hybrid electric drive supplied by Allison Transmission, a division of General Motors. The big bus works much like the small hybrid cars that are becoming so popular with consumers these days. In the bus, electricity is generated by a computer-managed diesel engine. That electricity is stored for future use, and can reduce fuel consumption by 20 to 40 percent.
The new bus could significantly increase transit productivity, while protecting the environment by decreasing harmful emissions. The new hybrid can go anywhere in Metro's system with ease. There are no limitations to its application, because it is fuel efficient and not dependent on overhead wires. And, it could be the answer for replacing the buses that now operate in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel.
If all goes well with the road testing, Metro could be ordering up to 200 of these hybrids next spring to replace the aging Breda buses that now travel cross county and through the downtown transit tunnel. King County is currently looking at ways to make the tunnel work for both buses and Sound Transit’s light rail project. It appears this hybrid could work very well in the tunnel alongside light rail trains.
During the upcoming road testing, the hybrid will be given a specific route to follow during the day. It will be a unique route, unlike any other in Metro’s system, designed to put the hybrid through a variety of situations and accumulate data on how it handles the wear and tear of daily driving. And at night, the hybrid will hit the highways and also do some long hauls to the far corners of the county.
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