China's Yutong develops hybrid bus

Chinese bus manufacturer Zhengzhou Yutong Bus Co. Ltd. has developed a hybrid coach that it claims to use almost 20% less fuel than typical gasoline-only vehicles. The company plans to mass produce the new bus in the second half of this year, as local transportation agencies are expected to add hybrid and other environmentally friendly vehicles to their fleets to help fight China’s pollution problem. A gasoline engine and an electric motor jointly power the company’s hybrid bus. Test runs of seven 12 meter hybrid buses began during the 2008 Beijing Olympics and have continued in Guangzhou and Zhengzhou. The firm said it has succeeded in developing a large hybrid bus measuring 18 meters long, the first of its kind in China. According to Zhengzhou Yutong, a 12 meter hybrid bus uses 17 to 19% less fuel than a regular manual transmission vehicle and about 25% less fuel than an automatic transmission car. (April 10, 2009)