Mass transit has long been a cheap and effective means of transportation in densely populated areas. Still, I don't see how people can enjoy sitting on a crowded and obnoxiously loud bus that spews putrid diesel fumes down the street.

 

NYC Transit is taking a step in the right direction by implementing DesignLine's hybrid bus. The North Carolina-based company uses an efficient diesel micro-turbine engine to power a generator which in turn charges lithium-ion batteries. The bus also employs regenerative braking and LED lighting.

 

Turbine-electric hybrid vehicle sounds complicated, but in fact they are astonishingly simple and logical. There are far fewer moving parts than an internal combustion engine, so service intervals are longer. The bus has one hundred percent torque at a standstill, and there are no jerky gear changes to spill your coffee.

 

The end result of this is a bus that is more efficient and much quieter than its turbo-diesel counterpart.

 

There are currently three DesignLine buses operating in NYC, and people are already complimenting their quiet and smooth character. They are also returning about seven miles per gallon of diesel, astounding given New York City's current hybrid bus fleet gets less than four.

 

By the end of 2010 there will be a total of 90 DesignLine buses in the NYC area, helping make mass transit slightly more tolerable.

 

 

[Source: The New York Times]