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DaimlerChrysler and Metropolitan Transit Authority Celebrate Clean Air in New York with Orion hybrid buses


December 2005
 Filed under: DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATE Car News | DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATE Headlines
Stuttgart/New York, Nov 29, 2005 -- Andreas Renschler, Head of DaimlerChrysler’s Commercial Vehicles Division, gathered today with New York state’s Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) Chairman Peter Kalikow and New York City Transit President Lawrence Reuter to celebrate the improvements to New York City’s quality of life provided by the hybrid diesel-electric buses produced by Orion, DaimlerChrysler’s North American city bus brand. “Celebration of Cleaner and Smarter Transit” was the motto of the event.
* “Blue Sky Merit Award” of environmental organization Calstart for Metropolitan Transit Authority’s hybrid commitment

* Major Order of 500 buses with option to add 389 more units to city service

* Andreas Renschler, Head of Commercial Vehicles Division: “Every Orion hybrid bus means a cleaner, quieter environment for all New Yorkers”

Renschler also transferred the “Blue Sky Merit Award” on behalf of the environmental organization Calstart to MTA for their leadership in the early use, commitment to and support of fuel-saving hybrid technology. The award recognizes that half of alternative transit hybrids on order or delivered in the US are New York’s.

MTA’s subsidiaries MTA Bus and New York City Transit recently ordered an additional 500 Orion VII transit buses with HybriDrive® propulsion, which are assembled in Oriskany, NY, to increase their hybrid fleet to 825 by the middle of 2007. In addition, MTA took an option which could add further 389 units to city service.

“We were proud when our Orion VII was chosen by the MTA and New York City Transit to reduce emissions, improve fuel economy and lessen the noise of its transit fleet,” said Andreas Renschler, the DaimlerChrysler Board of Management member responsible for commercial vehicles.

“And we are even prouder that the buses’ performance during daily use in the world’s toughest urban bus system has led to an order of 500 additional units.” Renschler emphasized that innovative emission technologies were the basis for future products, being not only an important factor in competition but also part of DaimlerChrysler Commercial Vehicles Division’s optimization program “Global Excellence”.

When compared to traditional diesel transit buses operating in New York, the Orion VII shows significant reductions in fuel use, pollution and noise produced. DaimlerChrysler has a long tradition in pioneering hybrid drive systems, with the first hybrid bus displayed on the Frankfurt International Auto Show, IAA, in 1969.

“Every Orion hybrid on the streets replacing a diesel bus means a cleaner and quieter environment for all New Yorkers,” said Renschler. “The hybrid system includes a diesel engine with nearly half the size of a standard diesel-bus engine, a generator and batteries.”

At the heart of the Orion VII hybrid bus is the HybriDrive® propulsion system provided by BAE Systems of Johnson City, N.Y. The system propels the bus with a single electric motor powered by a diesel-driven generator. The diesel engine provides the generating power which also charges the system’s batteries. The batteries are the source of additional electrical power for high demand situations, such as fast starts and hill climbs. The diesel engine in a hybrid like the Orion VII is optimized to run at relatively constant speeds or maximum efficiency and clean operation. Acceleration and deceleration are accomplished by varying the speed of the electric motor, not the diesel.

Another feature of the Orion VII hybrid is the regenerative braking system that uses the electric drive motor to slow the bus, effectively turning the motor into a generator to help recharge the bus batteries. This feature both saves energy and significantly reduces brake wear. The series hybrid design also eliminates the need for a mechanical transmission which means no transmission overhauls, a major maintenance item on conventional buses.

Orion is a brand of DaimlerChrysler Commercial Buses North America (DCCBNA). The company is headquartered in Greensboro, N.C., operating production facilities in Oriskany and Mississauga, Ont. In addition to Orion buses, DCCBNA markets buses under the Setra and Dodge Sprinter brands. DCCBNA is a unit of DaimlerChrysler, the worlds leading manufacturer of buses and coaches (Class 6 and above).

Source: DaimlerChrysler

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