Azure's Hybrid Shuttle Bus Completes Testing

Azure Dynamics Corp. of Oak Park, Michigan, has successfully completed the durability testing at the U.S. government’s bus certification test facility in Altoona, Pennsylvania. This qualifies Azure’s gasoline hybrid drive system for federally-supported hybrid bus purchases by public transit agencies across the U.S.

“This test demonstrates, on an accelerated time frame, the ability of Azure’s hybrid system to withstand the rigors of operating in a demanding urban transit bus environment for seven years,” says Scott Harrison, Azure’s CEO.

Azure Dynamics series hybrid electric shuttle bus uses an electric motor as the only means of driving the wheels. The motor obtains electricity from one of two sources, a battery pack or an on-board generator powered by the engine. The batteries in a hybrid electric vehicle are recharged by the engine/generator (genset) as well as regenerative energy captured during braking. Dependent on drive cycle, Azure’s hybrid electric shuttle bus reduces fuel consumption by 40% and maintenance costs by 25%.