Daimler gets orders for over 1,000 hybrid buses

Stuttgart, Germany-based Daimler (NYSE: DAI) said today it received orders for over 1,000 hybrid buses from Ottawa and New York.

New York City Transit ordered 850 of Daimler's Orion VII Next Generation diesel-electric hybrids for its fleet, with Ottawa's OC Transpo getting 202 of the buses.

Financial terms of the contracts were not disclosed.

"In North America, where public-private partnerships create the right conditions, hybrid buses have proven to be an ideal solution for modern urban city transportation," said Andreas Renschler, head of Daimler's Trucks division.

Compared to standard diesel propulsion, Daimler said its Orion hybrid buses deliver up to 30 percent better fuel economy while greatly reducing emissions.

The company said the buses produce 90 percent less particulate matter than standard diesels, 40 percent less nitrogen oxide, and 30 percent fewer greenhouse gases.

The Orion buses are powered by BAE Systems' HybriDrive sys­tem, a series hybrid driven by a single electric motor powered by a diesel-driven generator and an energy storage unit.

Daimler said the new buses also have regenerative braking systems, turning the motor into a generator that produces additional current to charge the storage unit.

The company said this order will bring New York's diesel-electric hybrid bus fleet to almost 1,700 units, making it the largest diesel-electric hybrid fleet in the world.

The New York buses are expected to be delivered through 2010.

Daimler said the buses for Ottawa will be shipped by 2009, making OC Transpo the third largest hybrid bus fleet in Canada.