21 Mar 07 17:18
The iconic American yellow school bus is going green: a fleet of 19 hybrid buses are to start a two-year trial in Manatee County, Florida.
The $225,000 IC Corporation buses, which have a plug-in facility to boost their all-electric mode capabilities, are expected to give fuel economy improvements of 70-100% depending on driving conditions, and a 90% reduction in emissions.
The Italians are taking a slightly different tack, however: a new trial in Rome is to study the emissions of 200 buses running on a B20 biodiesel blend. Roman authorities hope to run all the city's 2,800 buses on this fuel by the end of 2008, with the biodiesel supplied by local farmers. (Autoblog Green)
