Warwick's newest yellow school bus is ‘green'

School district unveils the school bus version of a Prius, By Abby Wolf Warwick - With great fanfare, Warwick Valley School District rolled out its newest addition to the fleet on Tuesday: Bus 319 is the district’s first hybrid school bus. Bob Zeller and Rosemary Warren, outgoing director and incoming director of the district’s Transportation Department, respectively, along with members of the school administration, took the keys to the new bus from Glenn J. Matthews, president of Matthews, Inc., which provided the bus. Matthews said that not only is it the first hybrid electric school bus in Orange County, it is also the first in New York State, and the first in the nation. Matthews said that he’s “excited to be the first Thomas Built dealer to deliver a hybrid,” and that he’s “looking forward to seeing how it does.” When asked when the district decided to order a hybrid, Zeller said that it was “a three-year project” of his, “looking at the best technology in the industry.” The bus is a diesel/electric hybrid, containing lithium-ion batteries that recharge the bus as it drives. More specifically, it contains an Eaton Hybrid Drive: Between the engine and the transmission is a 180 horsepower, dual-stage electric motor, which at low speeds powers the bus. Under normal driving conditions (below 40 miles per hour), the electric motor powers the vehicle; the battery then reverses polarity and recharges when the bus decelerates. Basically, this is the school bus version of a Prius. “Even if the battery goes dead, the bus operates under diesel power,” said George Eckes, sales manager for Matthews, Inc. However, Zeller added: “This bus has been field-tested, and (is) providing great results.” Annual fuel savings of up to 350 gallons According to the Thomas Built Buses C2 Hybrid brochure, “For the past two years the system has been tested in stop-and-go duty cycles. Current tests reveal a fuel savings of 300 to 450 gallons per year based on annual mileage of 10,000 miles.” The brochure also touts these benefits of the hybrid bus: Reduced CO2 emissions by up to 30 percent. Reduced component maintenance. Reduced fuel expenditures. Reduced brake wear. Reduced noise. The bus has a capacity of up to 65 children, “just like a conventional school bus,” according to Zeller. Also, the Thomas style body with a slanted-front end, is the newest in design,” which should “maximize fuel efficiency because of wind-resistance. A typical school bus costs about $100,000. But while the hybrid bus costs more initially - about $34,000 more, the district should be able to realize a fuel cost savings of about 60 percent versus that of a conventional bus. A school bus with a conventional diesel engine typically gets about 8 - 12 miles per gallon, according to Zeller; the hybrid should get between 14 - 17 mpg. The buses could achieve “even greater savings” using biodiesel in place of regular diesel, he added. Fuel economy is not the only reason for having this type of vehicle, though, according to Zeller: “Because Warwick is a ‘green’ community, the district has an obligation to do its part.” The hybrid is “the future of the school bus.” The hybrid also produces lower emissions: it has the “latest technology … the hybrid is doing most of the work in town, the diesel’s hardly working,” Eckes said. Stimulus grants sought for three more hybrids It is also quiet. The “noise is so reduced, that it’s like riding in your car; kids can talk more quietly,” said Zeller. As to where a hybrid fits in to national goals of energy independence, Eckes said it “will certainly reduce dependence on foreign oil: If you can double your fuel efficiency, you’ve cut your dependence in half.” Zeller wanted the bus delivered before he retires on Friday, so the bus will officially be in the district full-time in about three to four weeks. In the meantime, it will be appearing in a trade show in the Syracuse/Binghamton area. “It’s a true (truck) trade show,” but because the engine is used in both trucks and buses, “Warwick will get (good) exposure,” he said. “I can’t thank the administration and the Board of Education enough for their support in this. They’re committed to keeping the community clean,” Zeller said. “This was a three-year goal that’s finally come true; I can retire knowing I helped the community as a whole.” While this bus was purchased by the school district, school officials have applied for federal stimulus grants in order to purchase three additional hybrid buses.