The buses have compressed natural gas fueled 2.5-liter Ford industrial engine that operates at 2,000rpm to generate the electricity to power the bus.
The hybrid transit buses’ electrical drives are each powered by two 100-kilowatt UQM propulsion systems and a 100-kilowatt UQM generator. The hybrid electric transit buses are an updated design of the 45-foot, low floor bus that has been transporting 63,500 passengers daily across the 1.3-mile long 16th Street pedestrian mall in Denver since 2000.
The electric propulsion system features regenerative braking, a process in which kinetic energy is converted to electric energy through the braking process and this electric energy is used to recharge the battery pack. Each 45-foot transit bus can transport over 100 passengers.
We are pleased that LAX, a leader in the deployment of alternatively fueled vehicles, will be placing our hybrid electric transit buses in service. Our ability to upgrade to a UQM propulsion system and generator for the motive power needs of the vehicle has improved both vehicle performance and fuel economy, said Jay Schneiders, president of Hybrid Bus Technologies.
