August 7, 2006
Contact Pat Gilbert (517) 394-1100

NEW CATA CLEAN AIR INITIATIVE: DIESEL ELECTRIC HYBRIDS

CATA demonstrated its ongoing commitment to preserving the environment by celebrating the delivery of its first hybrid electric-powered buses at a local park today. The three vehicles are the first manufactured hybrid buses to be used in service in the state of Michigan. This latest CATA clean air initiative brings the benefits of significantly reduced emissions and significantly improved fuel economy.

“It is our mission to provide safe, reliable transportation,” stated CATA CEO/Executive Director Sandy Draggoo, “and we want to help keep the air clean while we’re making that happen. We are thrilled to introduce this new technology to our fleet. Its benefits are important given the need to maintain the air quality of the Greater Lansing area. We are investing in our community with this new generation of transit vehicles.”

New Flyer Industries, Inc., in Crookston, Minnesota, manufactured the 40-foot buses. The GM Allison hybrid diesel-electric technology is the bridge between internal combustion engines and the ideal zero-emission propulsion system. CATA’s hybrid buses use the combination of a diesel engine and electrical power to reduce emissions by 60% to 90% over conventional diesel buses. When the hybrid buses stop or decelerate, vehicle energy that would otherwise dissipate as heat is captured and stored in the Energy Storage System on the roof of the bus. In effect, the motor becomes a generator, in that this regenerative braking process provides 40% of the energy used to accelerate. Depending on driving patterns, the GM Allison hybrid system can improve fuel economy by 20% to 54%.

The regenerative braking system also substantially reduces brake wear and maintenance time and costs. Another benefit is reduced noise. The sound levels of hybrids approach that of personal vehicles, inside and out. In addition, the system provides seamless, faster acceleration rates that make for a smoother customer ride and help buses remain in the flow of traffic.

"The American auto industry is moving us toward a future of energy efficient technologies,” said Senator Debbie Stabenow, “and I am proud that General Motors and CATA have teamed up to decrease oil consumption and reduce air pollution.” 

Each hybrid bus costs $508,900. Federal grants paid 80% of the $1,526,700 cost for the three buses. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) provided the remaining 20% in matching funds. Congressman Mike Rogers and Senators Stabenow and Carl Levin were instrumental in securing the federal funding for the buses.

"CATA has taken a leadership role in putting cleaner buses on the road, helping to make the Lansing metropolitan area a healthier, safer place to live, work and raise our families," said Congressman Mike Rogers, who has been a leading advocate for clean fuel technology on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. "Industry estimates tell us that a single hybrid bus will be as effective as nearly 40 individual hybrid automobiles in giving us cleaner air. Congratulations to CATA and its leaders for pioneering this new technology in Michigan."

This is the latest in a series of clean air initiatives instituted by CATA since 1996, when CATA purchased its first reduced-emission buses. CATA began using ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel in 2003, and also purchased buses equipped with particulate filters in a second initiative during that same year.

Area residents took a record 9.3 million rides using CATA last year, and are on pace to set another record this year. CATA, which has provided transportation services for 34 years, covers a 600-square-mile service area with 91 large buses and 35 small buses.

“CATA will continue our clean air initiatives and continue to encourage more people to try public transportation for some of their travel needs,” said Draggoo.  “Simply put, the more people who ride CATA, the cleaner the air.”