GM Hybrids to Enable Cleaner, Quieter Yosemite

The General Services Administration has awarded a contract for 18 new General Motors 40-foot diesel-electric hybrid buses, which are scheduled to go in service in Yosemite National Park in May 2005. Gillig Corp. of Hayward, California, manufactures the buses.

GM hybrid buses are currently in revenue service in Philadelphia and Seattle, which will have more than 230 hybrid buses in service by the end of 2004, the largest hybrid bus order in history. The buses are in “preview programs” in over a dozen major North American cities, including Minneapolis, Portland, and Houston.

“Yosemite National Park is truly one of America’s great national treasures,” said Elizabeth A. Lowery, GM vice president, environment and energy. “The GM hybrid-powered buses will provide a way for today’s visitors to enjoy the splendors of the park while helping to preserve the area for future generations by reducing noise and exhaust emissions.”

“Several types of alternative fuel buses were seriously considered,” commented Yosemite Superintendent Mike Tollefson. “The decision to pursue diesel-electric hybrids was based on a significant improvement in fuel economy, dramatically reduced emissions, and noticeably quieter operations.”