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Volvo begins Series Production of Hybrid Buses

31 May, 2010 01:09:00

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Following several years of field testing, Volvo Buses will begin production of its Volvo 7700 Hybrid and the double-decker Volvo B5L Hybrid buses for European sales.

The 12-meter Volvo 7700 Hybrid bus is now being built in the company’s plant in Wroclaw, Poland and the chassis for the double-decker Volvo B5L Hybrid will be built in Borås, Sweden. The coaches for the double-deckers will be built by Wrightbus in Northern Ireland.

The 7700 Hybrid and double-decker B5L Hybrid will reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions by up to 35 percent, the company said.

Volvo’s hybrid buses have a smaller diesel engine than normal and an electric engine that can operate the bus independently or jointly. When the bus brakes, the brake energy is utilized and stored in a battery, which then drives the electric engine when the bus accelerates again.

Volvo 7700 Hybrid Bus

A key advantage of Volvo’s parallel technology is that the engine switches off automatically at bus stops. The bus then restarts only with the help of the electric engine. The diesel engine does not start until the bus reaches 15-20 km/hour. This gives a quiet and exhaust-free environment at bus stops.

Volvo B5L Hybrid Bus

In North America, hybrid buses currently represent about 20% of the market for city buses and that portion is steadily increasing. However, the hybrid technology used there is less cost-efficient and thus requires various types of subsidies for investments to be profitable for bus operators. In Europe, interest in and access to subsidies is lower and consequently, the portion of hybrid buses is not as high.

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