Hybrid vehicles are not widely available in Argentina yet, but the country`s capital will have its first hybrid electric bus with national technology and auto-parts this December. The project is an initiative of the Buenos Aires EnvironmentalAgency along with the La Plata University and a transport companycalled TAT. According to Minutouno newspaper, the first unit will havea cost of 800 thousand pesos {266 thousand US dollars} and willfunction with one of the lines that operate now in the city in a routethat will allow developers to test its functioning. Read more in theextended.Via Minutouno. Project detailsThe idea is that the bus uses the electric engine in the city`sdowntown, usually packed at rush hour because of its narrow streets,and helps reduce noise and contamination in the area. Meanwhile, inother areas where the buses can speed up, it would turn to the dieselengine."This is a very important technological change that`s already in usein the world. Once the prototype is running we`ll analyze how we caninstrument its serial production to reduce costs and encourage buscompanies to choose these models. The State might be able to give asubsidy if they show they are environmentally sustainable," said Graciela Gerola, president of the Buenos Aires Environmental Agency to La Nacion newspaper.Environmental advantagesAccording to estimations published by Minutouno newspaper, thepromoters of this initiative are expecting to run twice the distancewith the same amount of fuel, and reduce carbon emissions in 55% andother greenhouse gases in 40%.According to Critica newspaper,the need to reduce noise and air contamination in the city is urgent.The paper publishes a statistic by the World Bank that says themetropolitan region has to take care of the mobility of 13 millionpeople who demand 18 million daily trips, 7.5 million of them by busand another 7 million by taxi or private car.Background and hybrid buses in the worldIn Argentina, there have been other initiatives of eco buses withengines running on hybrid hydrogen {gas and water} in the city ofRosario, located in Santa Fe province {the country`s third city inpopulation size}.In the United States, buses with hybrid electric technology havebeen functioning for a while in cities like New York and Seattle, and are coming to Washington, Philadelphia and Minneapolis. In Europe, they are present in the UK and Germany, among others.Sources {all in Spanish}:An eco bus arrives in the streets of Buenos Aires {Minutouno}.Buenos Aires designs hybrid bus with national technology {CanalAR}.Buenos Aires will have an eco-bus {La Nacion}.An eco-bus arrives to Baires.Related posts:More Cities Jumping on the Hybrid Bus Bandwagon.How to green your public transportation.
www.treehugger.com/files/2008/07/hybrid-electric-bus-national-technology-buenos-aires-argentina.php