California-based ISE Corporation spent the past week making
waves in the commercial vehicle industry. This hybrid systems developer
promoted its zero-emission hybrid bus technology during the Connect with
CONNECT event in San Diego on May 20th. The company’s hydrogen fuel
cell technology made its first public appearance in San Diego to much acclaim. ISE
Corporation also announced that it is accepting orders for CNG hybrid systems
from public transit agencies for delivery starting December 2011.
The Connect with CONNECT presentation is the first step
toward widespread use of ISE’s hydrogen fuel cell technology. Organizers of the
2012 London Olympics have already ordered five prototypes to be used for
transportation around the Olympic Village. This fuel-cell technology is
bolstered by the company’s Ultra-E System, an electrical range extender with a
lifetime of one million charges. ISE Corporation has also incorporated its Ultra
capacitor Energy Storage Packs into its hydrogen drive train. These battery
cells store energy gathered from the brakes to power auxiliary systems and
reduce hydrogen consumption.
ISE Corporation is borrowing elements from its standard
hybrid drives for its CNG hybrid systems. The company has more than 300 hybrid
systems on roads today in buses and commercial trucks. The CNG hybrid system is
built from a Ford V10 engine, a Siemens electric motor and a lithium-ion battery
system along with several CNG tanks. Even with these components, ISE Corporation
notes that its drive system is 1,000 pounds lighter than competing CNG systems.
Transit systems
investing in the ISE CNG hybrid system will reduce fuel consumption and
emissions without high costs. Each CNG hybrid system reduces fuel consumption
by 40% compared to conventional CNG systems. ISE Corporation claims that its
CNG hybrid drive cuts greenhouse gas emissions by 40% when placed side by side
with other CNG systems. This innovative product also meets 2010 EPA standards
for nitrogen oxide without the high costs of after treatment processes.
The introduction of CNG and fuel-cell drive trains into
public transit systems worldwide will have several positive consequences.
Cities from London to San Diego will be able to reduce their dependence on oil
supplies while cutting down on environmental impacts. The successes of ISE
Corporation and a handful of competitors will lead to greater interest in
alternatives to gas-guzzling buses, trucks and commercial machinery. In the
end, consumers aboard buses using ISE Corporation systems will see that
alternative fuels can be incorporated into the very foundations of community
mobility.
