via Streetsblog:
I haven’t heard anything about this locally, but this DOT document (PDF) contains a fairly cryptic item:
Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet)
Project: Transit Vehicle Replacement (Mini-Hybrid)
Amount: $5,000,000
TriMet will use funds to replace buses in its fleet that are beyond their useful lives with minihybrid technology buses.
Or am I misunderstanding what “Mini-Hybrid” means?
10 responses to “Is TriMet Getting Some Hybrid Lift Vehicles?”
WTF?
Looks like a REGULAR SIZED BUS TO ME!
Am I missing something too?
From what I can tell, according to this, the hybrids we had before were also “mini-hybrids”, or at least some of them. Am I correct in understanding that these aren’t really “hybrids” as we know them at all?
(Or maybe just one of them. I have no idea.)
(Or maybe just one of them. I have no idea.)
the hybrids we had before
TriMet has only had two true hybrid buses (fleet 2561 and 2562) and has four true hybrid buses on order.
This is a “true” Hybrid:
http://www.busdude.com/zenphoto/united-states/oregon/trimet/new-flyer-de40lf/TM_2562_4.jpg.php
The “mini-hybrid” is not anything close to the common definition of a “hybrid bus”, ALL it is is an electric fan grid.
That’s it. It removes a hydraulic fan, and replaces it with an electric fan.
A fan.
That’s it.
An electric fan does not a hybrid bus make. And because Fred Hansen says it’s “NASCAR inspired” only means Hansen knows nothing about NASCAR. My car has an electric fan in it, does that make my car a hybrid and/or a NASCAR stock car?
Argh! I know TriMet doesn’t have any money, but they shouldn’t be spending federal dollars on “minihybrids” when there are actual hybrid buses out there to be purchased. It’s not like hybrids are some kind of niche item anymore. Lots of transit agencies have converted a huge percentage of their fleets to hybrid with great success, and costs are dropping very quickly. Hybrids are especially good on local routes that have to stop and start frequently (they are not so great for highway or express service).
NASCAR-inspired
Maybe it has a carbeurated engine with restrictor plates installed.
TriMet busses already have as many ads as a NASCAR racer, after all… :)
This looks like the same item in the 10 federal grant applications due to be approved by the TriMet board next week:
http://trimet.org/pdfs/meetings/board/2011-10-26/Res-11-10-68.pdf
“$5 million federal 5309 State of Good Repair funds to pay for approximately 13 mini-hybrid technology buses. TriMet pays the 20% local match.”
More about the “mini-hybrid” technology:
http://www.emp-corp.com/media/MarketingMaterial/miniHybrid/MagazinePublications/miniHybrid_DieselProgress.pdf