Daimler touts hybrid bus success

Automotive giant Daimler yesterday announced that it has received orders for over 1,000 of its Orion VII hybrid buses.

The company said that MTA New York City Transit had ordered 850 of the diesel-electric hybrids, while the City of Ottawa had ordered 202 of the buses. The orders, which will be delivered up to 2010, takes to 2,600 the number of orders the company has received since the launch of the Orion bus in 2003.

The order also means that New York City Transit will boast the largest hybrid fleet in the world with around 1,700 vehicles constituting almost half its fleet.

Daimler claims that the Orion VII' hybrid engine, which is based on BAE Systems’ HybriDrive system, will deliver a 30 per cent improvement in fuel efficiency compared to conventional buses as well as a 30 per cent cut in carbon emissions and a 90 per cent reduction in particulate matter from the exhaust.

Andreas Renschler, head of Daimler Trucks Division, said the orders underlined the company's position as a leader in hybrid engine commercial vehicles. Daimler has invested heavily in the sector and last month announced a new initiative designed to give its Trucks and Buses division complete access to the wider firm's alternative drive and fuels R&D activities.

Under the initiative, the company will next year undertake a series of customer tests for its next generation hybrid delivery trucks and buses and produce a further 1,500 of its Freightliner M2 Hybrid trucks over the next three years.

Meanwhile, China's state-owned Chang'an Automobile group has become the latest car manufacturer to launch a hybrid car.

According to reports from the Xinhua news agency, mass production of the car began late last week following six years of research.

"This shows Chinese automakers have grasped the core technology of making hybrid cars," the report said, adding that the new car will consume 20 per cent less than standard cars of the same size.