CTA testing new hybrid electric-powered bus

News Type: Event — Seeded on Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:02 PM EDT

Article Source: Chicago Tribune

technology, bus, hybrid, cta, communting, electric-powered

The Chicago Transit Authority announced Tuesday that it is testing a new hybrid electric-powered bus that could get nearly double the miles per gallon of current CTA hybrid buses.

The CTA on Tuesday began testing a lighter-weight hybrid electric-powered bus that may achieve double the fuel efficiency of current hybrid buses, officials said.

It differs from traditional hybrid technology that still relies on a diesel engine to power the vehicle but with the assistance of an electric motor that charges batteries for use when the vehicle is coasting.

The testing is part of a broader examination by the CTA of technologies that include vehicles running on compressed natural gas, zero-emissions hydrogen fuel cells, and bio-diesel and hybrid engines, Huberman said.