Diesel-electric bus technology arrives in California

15 December 2000

The West Coast’s first diesel-electric hybrid transit bus has been delivered to the Orange County Transit Authority in Santa Ana, CA. With this delivery, the new hybrid bus technology is making its inroads in California.

The bus, manufactured by New Flyer of America, is powered by a modified Cummins ISB-270 diesel engine with a catalyzed particulate filter. The hybrid-electric powertrain has been developed by Allison Transmission, a division of General Motors.

Diesel-electric urban buses, which are designed to produce emission levels comparable to those from natural gas buses and offer excellent fuel economy, attract increasing attention from public transit authorities. The most hybrid bus experience has been accumulated by the New York MTA, which has placed the first commercial order for 125 units to be delivered in 2001.

Source: Cummins