Commuters and bus passengers in the city of San Diego will see new buses hitting local streets that help reduce exhaust and noxious fumes. The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) is introducing the city’s first bus with a mixed electric and compressed natural gas (CNG) system. The system has authorized the purchase of up to 270 hybrid-diesel and CNG buses that could meet the city’s goal for a 100% green fleet. The 476-bus fleet currently has three-quarters of its fleet running on CNG though system leaders want to run completely on clean energy by 2014.
MTS officials worked with ISE Corporation to develop the electric/CNG system that is used in a prototype running routes at present. This bus features the city’s standard 40-foot frame powered by batteries manufactured by Cobasys. The 165-kW electric generator kicks in while the bus is braking and stopping along daily routes to build up reserve energy. The prototype features a renovated chassis that holds up the ISE hybrid system without sacrificing durability over thousands of miles.
The first CNG hybrid addition to the MTS fleet will replace several traditional buses over the next year to display the technology to area residents. The city worked with the California Air Resources Board, the San Diego Air Pollution Control District and the South Coast Air Quality Management District to fund the initial bus overhaul. The $1 million price tag for the initial prototype was rationalized by MTS as an investment in emissions reductions and fuel savings for the city’s residents.
The massive evolution of the San Diego MTS fleet toward cleaner public transit is promising on financially beleaguered homeowners. The initial cost of purchasing hybrid buses that taxpayers incur will be recovered in terms of cleaner air and lower taxes down the road. The millions of dollars spent on gasoline by the city for public transit routes will gradually decrease until 2014 when the system’s goal needs to be achieved. The annual tax savings allow San Diego residents to pay for other transportation expenses including skyrocketing gas prices. This scenario relies entirely on the city’s commitment to a clean energy plan over short-term schemes to pay off debts or relieve economic problems.
