As Transit gears up to replace the city’s bus fleet with hybrid vehicles while planning to expand and improve the bus network, the introduction of new technology has not been without its problems. amNew York’s Heather Haddon explored those issues today and found three major areas of concerns. Some of the new Orion hybrids have problems with the heating system that causes spontaneous fires; the acceleration systems are more sensitive than in the current fleet; and the shocks system can sometimes degrade.
In light of these problems, the MTA and Orion are working to address these concerns. Orion and the transit agency have a $500 million contract for 850 fuel-efficient vehicles, and the MTA has already asked for $1.6 million for late delivery. Officials have already solved the combustion problem, and the hybrids have now received smoother acceleration systems. It’s all a part of the technological growing pains as the authority adapts to a new fleet of buses.
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This matter reminds me of the Grumman bus fiasco, circa 1980 (I don’t remember the exact year).
I do remember, though, that the resulting shortage of buses was so bad that for a time the Transit Authority had to rent a fleet of buses from the Washington, D.C. bus system.
There was a radio program host at that time on WOR-AM who would crack jokes like, “If you get on one of those buses, you wind up in Fairfax, Virginia.”
$500 million for experimental buses the jerk and degrade and spontaneously burst into flames? is that ‘growing pains’?
I’d say so. I wouldn’t want the MTA to buy any other kind of buses other than hybrids, and if those are the problems that come with them, so be it. This is relatively new technology, and I’ve yet to see a new technology function perfectly it’s first time up at the plate.
I’d be interested to know the price tag of a non-hybrid bus, though.
Non-hybrid buses cost $320k apiece. Hybrid buses cost $550k apiece. Operating and maintenance costs are about the same – $350k for 12 years, not including driver salary.
Here’s the relevant FTA study.