Hybrid Car Review

Press Release follows from IC Corporation, Enova and Advanced Energy on the bid to buy 19 hybrid buses nationwide. IC Corporation won the bid and 11 states will benefit throught the RFP issued in June 2006. Since hybrid buses tend to cost twice as much as their conventional counterparts, the donations from North Carolina's electric utilities (Duke Power, Progress Energy,Dominion North Carolina Power and North Carolina electriccooperatives) and the State Energy Office in North Carolina were essential in making this program started.


11 States Are First in the Nation to Receive Hybrid School Buses as IC Corporation Awarded Bid by Advanced Energy Consortium
25.07.2006 13:25:00

IC Corporation Works With Enova Systems to Supply First Hybrid School Buses That Can Attain Up to 40 Percent Increase in Fuel Efficiency

Eleven states will be getting a higher grade for investing inenergy-efficiency this school year. New York, California, Texas,Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,Arkansas, Iowa and Washington will be the first states in the nationto receive hybrid school buses. Through its Plug-In Hybrid ElectricSchool Bus Project, Advanced Energy, a Raleigh, N.C.-based nonprofitcorporation, initiated a buyer's consortium of school districts, stateenergy agencies and student transportation providers. After issuing nationwide Request for Proposals (RFPs) for hybrid school buses in June 2006, Advanced Energy announced today at the 13th Annual School Transportation News Expo that IC Corporation, the nation's largest school bus manufacturer, won the bid and will provide up to 19 hybrid school buses to those 11 states.

"This project provides operational benefits to school districts,while also providing the reduced emissions desired by the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency and a valuable return on investment toschool boards," said Ewan Pritchard, P.E., Advanced Energy's hybridprogram manager. "This bid award is the result of several years ofcollaborative effort among manufacturers, school districts andgovernment agencies to change the school bus market."

IC Corporation, in collaboration with Enova Systems, unveiled the nation's first hybrid school bus two weeks ago at the New York Association of Pupil Transportation (NYAPT) Show. The hybrid schoolbus is expected to attain a 40 percent increase in fuel efficiency, which becomes even more essential with the rising fuel costs affecting many school districts.

"With fuel prices near all-time highs, new innovations in hybrid technology are needed to help customers in the school bus industry keep their operating costs lower," said Michael Cancelliere, vicepresident and general manager of IC Corporation. "We're proud that Advanced Energy recognizes the need to help our nation's schooldistricts with energy-efficient school buses. In addition, even though current International diesel engines on many existing school buses produce no visible smoke and minimal emissions, the hybrid program will reduce engine emissions even further."

These members of Advanced Energy's buyers' consortium arecurrently scheduled to receive buses:

-- North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (2 buses)

-- South Carolina Department of Educations (2 buses)

-- State of New York (2 buses)

-- Florida Department of Education (2 buses)

-- Napa Valley Unified School District, Napa Valley, Calif. (1 bus)

-- Durham School Services, Everett, Wash. (1 bus)

-- Lake Chelan School District, Chelan, Wash. (1 bus)

-- City of Seattle (1 bus)

-- Little Rock, Ark., School District (1 bus)

-- Sigourney Community School District, Sigourney, Iowa (1 bus)

-- Nevada Community Schools, Nevada, Iowa (1 bus)

-- Killeen Independent School District, Texas (1 bus)

-- Austin Independent School District, Texas (1 bus)

-- Fairfax County, Va. (1 bus)

-- Jennings Transportation, Nazareth, Pa. (1 bus)

The hybrid school bus project features Enova's post-transmission 80-kilowatt Hybrid Drive System and was extensively tested and evaluated at IC Corporation's research and technology facility in FortWayne, Ind. The initial powertrain for the hybrid school bus will couple an International(R) VT365 V8 diesel engine with the 80-kilowatt hybrid-electric powertrain, incorporating a transmission, batteries and an electric motor. The system is based on a parallel architecture,allowing the system to utilize both diesel and electric power in a highly efficient manner.

Funding to support Advanced Energy's initiative has come from North Carolina's electric utilities (Duke Power, Progress Energy,Dominion North Carolina Power and North Carolina electriccooperatives) and the State Energy Office in North Carolina.

"Duke Energy is proud to support research and market developmentof alternative and more energy efficient technologies," said Ellen Ruff, president of Duke Energy Carolinas. "The hybrid electric schoolbus project is an exciting example of how key stakeholders from the utility industry, business and government can form partnerships that produce great benefits for communities in which we live."

Advanced Energy is also welcoming additional funding at the state and private level to expand this program to more school districts and other states. More information about the program can be found at www.hybridschoolbus.org.

The hybrid bus announcement is the continuation of research and development for new technology in a number of different vehicles. IC Corporation's parent company, International Truck and Engine Corporation, is working extensively on hybrid trucks for the utility and delivery industries.