Green Fleet Roundup: BYD, Renault, Hyundai, Caterpillar

BYD’s all-electric, long-range, 40-foot buses (pictured) will this month ply the streets of Quebec in a 10-month field test, operated by Société de transport de l’Outaouais and Société de transport de Montréal transit companies. The buses have in-wheel-hub motors, regenerative braking/re-charging systems, and a large 324 kWh battery pack that needs to be charged only at night for five hours, for a full-day’s service without en-route charging.

BYD was also selected by Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to supply the same all-electric buses for its fleet. The 35 buses will be used to transfer passengers between airport terminals and aircraft. The BYD ebus can drive 155 miles in heavy city traffic after a full night-time charge.

Renault Trucks UK delivered its first 26-metric-ton hybrid truck to Norbert Dentressangle to be operated in the UK. The Renault Premium Distribution Hybrys truck will operate from Norbert Dentressangle’s depot in Aylesford, Kent. The diesel-electric hybrid is called “parallel” hybrid technology, combining an internal combustion engine with an electric motor.

Hyundai says its first emission-free hydrogen-powered vehicles will soon be operating in London. Five Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell models — the first production fuel cell cars in the world — will be a part of the London Hydrogen Network Expansion project.

Caterpillar Marine Power Systems has launched the Cat Powered Marine Hybrid System, a complete hybrid propulsion package compatible with all engine platforms. It was developed with electrical specialists Aspin Kemp & Associates (AKA) and uses AKA’s XeroPoint Hybrid marine propulsion system. Caterpillar says it provides fuel savings of up to 25 percent as well as 26 percent reduction in carbon emissions, compared to conventional marine systems.

Bristol Hydrogen Boats, a UK consortium, launched Britain’s first hydrogen-fueled ferry in Bristol harbor. The zero-emission boat — Hydrogenesis — runs on four air-cooled fuel cells and refuels at a custom dockside station provided by Air Products.

Wärtsilä, a marine services provider, has won a retrofitting contract by the German shipyard, BVT Bremen. The project entails converting a car and passenger ferry owned by Aktien-Gesellschaft EMS to use liquefied natural gas (LNG). The dual-fuel engines will run primarily on LNG, but have the capacity to switch to conventional liquid fuels if needed.

UQM Technologies has a three-year supply agreement to provide Boulder Electric Vehicle (BEV) with the UQM PowerPhase HD220 electric propulsion systems for Boulder’s delivery vans, used by UPS and the Department of Defense. The propulsion system will be the core of the BEV powertrain in its DV-500 commercial vehicle platform, which will support three all-electric models — delivery vans, flatbed trucks and service body trucks.

MAN Diesel & Turbo has won the contract to supply the engines for six Chinese liquefied natural gas carriers (LNGCs) to Sinopec Kantons, MOL and Shanghai-based CSLNG. All of the engines are International Maritime Organization (IMO) Tier II-compliant in diesel mode and will have lower exhaust emissions in gas mode than IMO Tier III stipulates.