PORT ANGELES — Clallam Transit is getting greener.
The public transportation agency has unveiled a 14-passenger, low-floor hybrid minibus to serve the Sequim area.
Transit officials are testing the bus for its fuel efficiency, brake life and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
The electric hybrid coach began servicing the No. 40 Sequim Shuttle route last week.
“Early driver reports are extremely positive,” Clallam Transit General Manager Terry Weed said.
“It’s got good vision for the driver and easier assess for passengers.”
The low floor eliminates the need for a wheelchair lift to pick up or drop off disabled riders, Weed said.
The minibus has space for 14 walking passengers and one wheelchair rider, or 12 ambulatory passengers and two wheelchairs.
Like a hybrid car, the bus runs on an electric hybrid system to provide smooth acceleration and better fuel economy.
The difference between the bus and a hybrid car is that it runs on diesel fuel instead of gas. The hybrid system uses an ultracapacitor and electric motor on the drive shaft to assist the primary diesel engine.
Clallam Transit Maintenance Manager Kevin Gallacci said the system performs best where average speeds are below 25 mph.
The No. 40 route circles surface streets in the city of Sequim.
According to the manufacturer, Middlebury, Ind.-based Arboc Mobility, the technology will reduce fuel consumption and emissions by 25 percent to 40 percent.
A federal grant covered 80 percent of the bus’ $153,308 cost.
Later this year, Clallam Transit will roll out several similar electric-diesel minibuses and three propane-powered buses that will serve the Forks area, Weed said.
________
Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
