Volvo, the Swedish auto-making legend, has released the world’s first commercial hybrid bus. The Volvo 7700 has both a traditional diesel engine and an electric motor which should use 30 percent less fuel than other buses in operation today. The new hybrid will make its debut on the streets of London and Gothenburg this autumn.
The Local newspaper reports that Volvo is using its own hybrid technology, known as I-SAM, in the buses. The intelligent system automatically turns off the diesel engine during a stop, and then uses the electric motor to power it along when it gets going again. Once the bus reaches 15-20 kilometres per hour the diesel engine takes over.
The new 7700 uses a lithium-ion battery which is charged whenever the brakes are used. This provides much of the power used by the electric motor when the bus is starting off. Hakan Karlsson, the president of Volvo Bus Corporation, told reporters that Volvo manufactures all the hybrid components in-house – a new trend in the industry.
“A common approach earlier was that bus manufacturers purchased hybrid components externally and attempted to adapt them to their own bus, but this is difficult,” Karlsson said in a statement. “Since we developed the components internally, we have been able to optimise the bus’s fuel consumption fully. At the same time we could ensure very high reliability.” If all goes well, mass production of the 7700 will begin in early 2010.
Volvo is no more Swedish, its Chinese now. But I’m not sure about trucks & busses. Hope they will only manage the process and will do not produce all Volvo’s in China, especcially with a lithium-ion batteries.
“Spain Plugs In World’s Largest Solar Tower E-mail
Written by Megan Treacy
Tuesday, 28 April 2009
In Seville, Spain yesterday, the world’s largest solar tower came to life and started generating electricity. The PS20 plant has a capacity of 20 MW and will be able to power 10,000 homes.
The plant is made up of 1,255 mirrors, each taking up 1,291 square feet, that focus solar radiation on a 531-foot tower. The heat boils water in the tower which creates steam. The steam then turns a turbine, making electricity.
The PS20 is the second solar tower to go on-line in Spain, with the other capable of generating 10 MW. The solar towers are just part of a 300-MW solar-thermal complex planned by Abengoa that will also include four 50-MW plants that use parabolic troughs instead of towers. The entire complex should be up and running by 2013.”
http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/2715/83/
NICE THING, IN THE MAIN SPANISH CITIES ( BARCELONA, LAS PALMAS, MADRID, VALENCIA) THEY HAVE HAD FOR YEARS BUSES THAT WORK ENTIRELY THANKS TO SOLAR ENERGY!! 100% FREE, 100% CLEAN… BUT WELL, SINCE SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES HAVE 90% LESS SUN HOURS THAN SPAIN, WELL, THAT IS ALL YOU CAN GET…
I HAVE ALWAYS LIKED VOLVO CARS, BUT I AM WAITING FOR THEM TO REALEASE THE ALL 100% ELECTRIC VOLVO… PLEASE, HURRY UP!!
it goes well especially for the passengers as they find it comfortable to ride in.