The fully-updated Orion VII transit bus from Daimler Buses North America made its debut at the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Bus & Paratransit Conference in Cleveland, Ohio, this week.

The Orion VII features the integration of the next generation of clean engines to meet the 2010 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards, as well as additional customer design enhancements.

The updated and enhanced Orion VII demonstrates the brand's clear vision of offering the most reliable transit bus for its customers. The vehicle meets and exceeds the new EPA 2010 emission standards by utilizing Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology.

With SCR, the exhaust from the engine is routed through the vehicle's After Treatment System where the particulate matter is 'scrubbed" through the diesel particulate filter and is then subsequently routed through the SCR filter where small doses of diesel emission fluid (DEF) addresses the NOx emissions. The end result is exhaust gases leaving the tailpipe that meet EPA 2010 standards.

The updated Orion VII hybrid, diesel, and CNG models feature almost identical engine compartments so components, lines and harnesses can be standardized across all three applications providing ease of maintenance for the end user. Maintenance accessibility is also a key design criteria for the updated Orion VII. For example, newly designed floor hatches provide easy access to components and connections on the engine, transmission and hybrid components.

Routing and wire layouts have also been optimized to simplify installation and allow for ease of maintenance. The rear electrical panel has also been completely redesigned to provide a more logical installation of components and harness layout. This also allows for much easier troubleshooting and access from the rear, inside of the vehicle. This was made possible by the relocation of the A/C system to the roof of the vehicle, which opened up a considerable amount of space at the rear deck.

A number of new options are being introduced with the Orion VII for 2010, including:

• European-inspired BRT styling.

• Disc brakes.

• The air conditioning system is now mounted in the center of the roof, providing improved air flow and a cooler environment for passengers.

• Through improved sound proofing, noise reduction has been reduced both inside and outside the bus.

• The Orion VII is lighter than the previous model resulting in improved fuel efficiency.

Daimler Buses North America conducts full life-cycle simulations in real driving conditions. The company built a total of seven test buses and put them through its own Structural Durability Testing. These buses were subjected to 60 tests and logged approximately 500,000 simulated miles mimicking real life driving conditions during this testing at the manufacturer's proving grounds.