Cruising around Paris in a brand new hybrid bus that allows passengers to take in the sounds of the city rather than the roar of an engine seems like a dream. But for bus riders in the City of Lights this will soon be a reality. Up to 600 of the city’s new buses will be hybrid, powered by BAE Systems' HybriDrive Series system with stop/start technology, giving hybrid buses the ability to eliminate emissions when stationary, save fuel, and diminish noise and odors.
“The hybrid buses for the Parisian public transport agency will be equipped with Stop/Start technology,” says Steve Trichka, Vice President and General Manager of HybriDrive Solutions at BAE Systems. “This allows arrivals and departures to be made in 100% electric mode from bus stops, providing additional fuel savings beyond traditional hybrid buses.”
Stop/start, as referred to in the United States, and ‘arrive and go’ in the United Kingdom, is an innovative technology that represents a major evolution — the transformation of hybrid bus to full electric. These transit buses for the Paris public transport operator, Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens, are made possible through a partnership with CNH Industrial. The company, which owns the Iveco Bus and Heuliez Bus brands, recently received multiple orders for transit buses, including the 600 powered by BAE's HybriDrive technology.
“CNH Industrial has already delivered more than 200 buses to the European market equipped with our HybriDrive Series system, and this new work in Paris underscores BAE Systems’ leadership in the hybrid electric city bus market,” says Trichka.