Last week, Troy-based Altair ProductDesign unveiled the world’s first series hydraulic hybrid transit bus, the LCO-140H (Low-Cost of Ownership-1st 40-foot Hybrid). The LCO-140H achieved an industry high fuel economy of 6.9 mpg when tested using “stop-and-go” cycles and test protocols established by the Federal Transit Administration —110 percent better fuel economy than conventional diesel buses and 30 percent better than other diesel-electric hybrid buses currently on the market.
The LCO-140H was developed under the BUSolutions program, whose sponsors include Parker, Meritor, Sika Corporation, Alcoa Wheel Products, and Tenneco. Altair estimates that a city with a fleet of 300 buses could lower its transit costs by $50 million if it changed from diesel buses to the LCO-140H.
