As fuel conservation and energy efficiency have become the main priorities of the transportation industry, many people have begun realizing that public transport options have become more affordable and more convenient than ever before. The diesel-electric hybrid coach bus, in particular, is becoming incredibly popular for city transportation departments and private chartered bus services alike. But what’s the big deal with these hybrid buses?
The Basics
As the name would suggest, hybrid buses traditionally operate on a mixture of diesel fuel and electricity (coming from replaceable or rechargeable batteries). They work in the same way that hybrid cars and SUVs work — just on a bigger scale.
In general, hybrid vehicles use up as much electric energy as possible before switching over to the diesel engine. Newer buses are often equipped with high-tech engines that are able to turn the battery off as the bus decelerates, which saves up quite a bit of electric energy. There’s a complex computer system in the engine of these buses which controls both systems and can detect which system to use in order to save the most energy — so the driver of the vehicle doesn’t have anything extra to worry about.
The Benefits
Because hybrid coach buses are able to much less diesel fuel than traditional buses — about 25% less, in fact — they’re also able to reduce the amount of toxic green house gases that are emitted. These buses are safer for the environment, and they even foster better public health.
Another benefit is that the engines on these buses are much quieter and produce far fewer odors than traditional coach and charter buses. It’s often noted that when these buses are running only on battery-powered electricity, they make virtually no sound and emit no odors. These two details may not seem like a big deal to some people, but anyone living in the middle of a city will probably agree that any reduction in loud noises and bad smells — even a very small reduction — would be greatly appreciated.
The Conclusion
If you’ve overlooked public transportation before, now might just be the perfect time to see if your local bus service has invested in one of these hybrid vehicles. They’re environmentally-friendly and much more cost-effective than traditional buses, and those are two big selling points that shouldn’t be overlooked!
