Ann Arbor acquires GM-Allison hybrid buses

The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) unveiled the first of its 20 new GM-Allison hybrid-powered buses from Gillig Corp. on Wednesday.  

In the next two weeks, 15 of the new buses will start service, and five more will be delivered in March 2008. AATA plans to eventually replace all 69 buses in their fleet with hybrids. Orders for an additional 379 hybrid bus systems in North America will be fulfilled throughout 2007.  

AATA predicts that the 20 new hybrid buses will save about $2.5 million in fuel costs and 811,200 gallons of fuel over a 12-year period. They also anticipate a reduction in carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons of up to 90 percent, as well as up to 50 percent in carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide.  

General Motors licenses the clean hybrid technology to Allison Transmission, which manufactures and sells the hybrid transmission. Gillig Corp., located in Hayward, Calif. manufactures the buses.