The future of public transit is being discussed at the Ohio Public Transit Conference in Columbus, Ohio where Larry Zepp, chief technologist for Crosspoint Kinetics, has been asked to share his expertise on electric hybrids.
Hybrids and other green technologies, also known as alternative fuel technologies, will be a major discussion topic as more public transit fleets look to adopt fuel-saving and emissions-reducing systems. Public fleets are under pressure from their communities¹ citizens and civic leaders to reduce their carbon footprint.
Most city buses make frequent stops and regularly run at low speeds, when pollution from vehicle emissions is the worst.
That type of frequent start-stop driving is ideal for the Kinetics Hybrid, which assists in vehicle braking and captures the energy usually lost to heat in ultracapacitors. The stored energy can be quickly released on vehicle launch to give an extra to boost and use less fuel. As a consequence, brake life is extended by up to 8 times, fuel efficiency is increased by up to 30 percent and CO2 emissions are typically reduced by more than 10 metric tons per year.
Nearly 200 Kinetics Hybrid systems are already in place at dozens of public transit fleets around the country on vehicles that have been driven more than 6 million miles.
Zepp highlights those fleets experiences in his conference session titled "How Hybrids Can Benefit Transit Fleets," May 29. More than 200 public transit fleet executives and maintenance managers are expected to attend the annual conference at the Hilton Columbus Polaris to hear tips, best practices, and news about regulatory changes.
"Public transit agencies are at the forefront of the green vehicle movement," said Zepp. "They¹re out in the community every day and they¹re very focused on solutions that can save fuel and help their citizens breathe easier."
Zepp heads up Crosspoint Kinetics Advanced Technology center in Fort Wayne, Ind. and is the inventor of the hybrid motor/generator found in the Kinetics Hybrid system.
