South Korea: Hyundai announces order for 7,748 hybrid and fuel cell buses
By: Glenn Brooks, Friday, June 13, 2008, AutomotiveWorld.com
The first two vehicles, both of which are mild hybrids, were delivered earlier this week, with the rest to be handed over by year-end. Full hybrid system buses are then scheduled to enter service in 2011 with fuel-cell electric vehicles to follow two years after that.
Hyundai says its mild hybrid system, which shuts the diesel engine down when the bus comes to a halt, uses the energy captured from braking to power the engine's coolant pump, while the full hybrid will store such kinetic energy for re-use when acceleration is needed.
The CVs division of South Korea's largest OEM says its mild-hybrid bus has 10-15% greater fuel efficiency than a conventionally powered diesel or CNG (compressed natural gas) bus. As for C02 emissions, it claims these are 21% lower than an equivalent diesel bus', with nitrogen oxide emissions reduced by 89%.
Hyundai completed the development of its mild hybrid system, which, the company says is its proprietary technology, in April. Since then, buses have been undergoing fleet test operations with a number of local operators.
Published on Friday, June 13, 2008
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