Solo and Versa hybrid buses get LCEB certification 05 August 2010

Optare has confirmed that diesel-electric hybrid versions of its Solo and Versa models have completed certification trials to satisfy the Low Carbon Emission Bus (LCEB) requirements, under the Green Bus Grant scheme.

The certification, carried out by engineers at the Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire to its MLTB test cycle (which replicates London's route 159), now applies to all production Solo and Versa hybrids.

"This is a significant step forward in our hybrid programme," comments Optare commercial director Glenn Saint. "It means that we meet the standards set down under the first Green Bus Fund scheme and the two that have followed more recently in England and Scotland."

Both Optare's Solo and Versa models use the Siemens series diesel-electric hybrid system, based on ultra capacitor energy storage. The diesel engine is the Mercedes-Benz OM904LA unit, which meets the Euro 5 emissions standard.

"[Ultra capacitors] provide a longer life and increased reliability, making them better suited to demanding city centre duty cycles involving a lot of stop-starts," states Saint. "Of equal importance is that they are lower in cost and this will enable us to offer our hybrid models at more competitive prices."

Author
Brian Tinham

Related Companies
Mercedes-Benz UK Ltd
Optare plc

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