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LeeTran to test hybrid bus starting April 27

By Staff | Apr 22, 2009

LeeTran will test a state-of-the-art hybrid paratransit bus for four weeks starting April 27.

The 31-foot “Hybrid Ride” diesel-electric bus is provided by the Florida Department of Transportation as a demonstration project. It is on loan to transit agencies for testing in a variety of operating environments to gather data on fuel savings and maintenance costs for the state, LeeTran officials said today.

Hybrid Ride has the potential to reduce particulate matter up to 90 percent, and NOx emissions by up to 60 percent, compared to a regular diesel bus, its owners say.

Depending on the operating conditions, Hybrid Ride can improve fuel economy by 25 to 40 percent, officials said.

“LeeTran has four full-size hybrid buses on order, and this will give us an advance look at the new technology in smaller size vehicles,” said Transit Director Steve Myers. “Hybrid Ride is designed primarily for paratransit service, but we’ll also be testing it on a few of our regular bus routes to gather as much data as possible for the state.”

Hybrid Ride was built by Champion on an International chassis, with 26 seats, two wheelchair positions and a wheelchair lift.