TTC Buses

For my portion of the Transit topic, I took a look at TTC buses and the efforts being made to reduce emissions in recent years. Using my research, I made a point-form timeline of notable events in this process:

April 2005
• TTC orders 330 transit busses from Orion Bus Industries, 150 of which are diesel-electric 40-foot hybrid buses, to be delivered in 2006.
• These hybrid busses are to offer better performance, significant emissions reductions and fuel savings.
• The HybriDrive propulsion system by BAE Systems propels the bus with a single electric motor, powered by a diesel-driven generator and an energy storage unit.
• The HybriDrive system uses a smaller engine than conventional buses.
• Quicker acceleration.
• Eliminates the transmission, which is typically high maintenance in stop-and-go traffic. A regenerative braking system uses the drive motor to slow down the bus, effectively turning the motor into a generator to recharge the energy storage system.
• These busses had already been tested out in New York, and more are coming.
• The long-term effects should end up saving money, due to cheaper maintenance, fuel efficiency, and quietness.

More Benefits From the New Hybrid Buses:
• 37% less greenhouse emissions.
• 36.3 tonnes less carbon dioxide per bus each year
• 30-50% less nitrous oxide emissions
• 30-50% less soot particulates
• 20-30% less fuel consumption

April 2006
• The first of the new hybrid TTC buses by Orion arrive.
• The buses cost about 50% more than regular diesel buses, totaling $112 million for 150 buses, covered by the City of Toronto, the province and Ottawa.

March 2008
• Ottawa gives the TTC $303.5 million to buy nearly 694 hybrid buses, 270 of which are already up and running.

Despite these efforts, within recent weeks it was uncovered that this hybrid technology is not working nearly as well as projected. After ordering 130 new hybrid buses for next year, the TTC realized the batteries in the current buses on the streets only have been lasting 18 months – short of the five-year projected expectancy. The TTC also found the fuel savings on the current hybrid buses are only 1/3 of what was projected. Regrets about the decision to go hybrid have prompted the TTC to return to buying "clean" diesel buses in 2010. Nobody is sure yet what is causing the problems with the hybrid buses, but the TTC is considering ordering diesels from New Flyer instead. However, it’s unclear what the switch back would cost because the federal government funding for the current buses stipulates hybrids only, not diesels.