A pilot program will bring a greener hybrid bus to Israel’s Sharon region.
Here’s some good green news for 2011 in Israel: In addition to the thousands of electric cars that Better Place hopes to bring to Israel next year, a hybrid bus will also be tested that offers a 50% reduction in emissions and fuel savings of up to 35%. The Metropoline bus company plans to test a Volvo 7700 Hybrid bus on the company’s routes in the Sharon region, TheMarker reported (in Hebrew) today.
Volvo claims that its hybrid bus is “is the leading environmental solution for buses in urban areas, and the only commercially viable hybrid on the market.” The company’s I-SAM hybrid concept comprises a combined start motor, electric motor, generator and an electronic control unit, and works together with a diesel engine that kicks in only when the vehicle reaches a speed of 15-20 kilometers per hour. (This means that the bus is quiet and non-polluting when starting and stopping.)
The 7700’s lithium-ion battery is charged during braking via the electric motor/generator and then provides energy to the electric motor for drive power.
Image via allaboutbuses.wordpress.com
:: TheMarker (Hebrew)
See more on hybrid vehicles:
New Israel Vehicle Green Tax Stiffs Hybrids
Lebanon To Waive Taxes on Hybrid Cars
