Here's a good little item that nearly slipped past us. City Room reported the other day that the MTA is testing new battery-powered buses:
The city’s other hybrid buses run like hybrid cars. They run offbattery power some of the time and diesel or (in the case of many cars)gas engines at other times. And the braking action helps charge thebatteries.
The test bus is different in that it runs on battery power all the time.
Jerry Higgins, the director of new bus technology for New York City Transit, said the manufacturer predicts the bus will get about seven miles per gallon, which is about double the fuel efficiency of the transportation authority's current hybrid bus fleet.
The bus will be tested here for two months and if the authority likes what it sees, it may consider placing an order.
Photo: Librado Romero/The New York Times
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog New York City
Ten-Year-Old Struck and Killed By Driver Two Blocks from South Williamsburg Playground
The 62-year-old driver struck and killed the young New Yorker at the intersection of Wallabout Street and Wythe Avenue.
Car Crashes by City Workers Cost Taxpayers $180M in Payouts Last Year: Report
A record number of victims of crashes involving city employees in city-owned cars filed claims in fiscal year 2023 — and settlements with victims have jumped 23 percent, a new report shows.
Tuesday’s Headlines: Biking with a Dutchman Edition
You really get a fresh perspective on city cycling when you do it with someone from Holland. Plus other news.
City Urges Judge to Toss Anti-Open Streets Lawsuit
The city's not responsible for 24-7 car access to every street, officials argued.
Opinion: Connect the Dots of Manhattan’s Missing Bike Lanes
Only a few miles of missing protected lanes stand in the way of a robust bike network.
