California-based ISE Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of ISE Limited, announced it will begin accepting orders for its next-generation, battery-dominant CNG (compressed natural gas) Hybrid System for transit buses, with production units expected to be available in 2011.

The next-generation CNG Hybrid System maximizes proven technology already in production in hundreds of ISE Hybrid Systems on roads today.

The new, clean-fuel ISE CNG Hybrid System offers unique competitive advantages over conventional CNG systems, according to the company, including:

• Battery-Dominant Efficiency Gains — ISE's CNG Hybrid System is expected to improve fuel efficiency by up to 40 percent, which enables the removal of a significant amount of onboard fuel storage, without compromising vehicle range. By requiring fewer fuel storage tanks, the ISE CNG Hybrid System offers the opportunity for a vehicle that weighs less than today's conventional CNG bus.

• Optimal Engine Platform — The next-generation ISE CNG Hybrid System will use the widely known Ford V10 engine, which is over 1000 pounds lighter than the modified diesel engines used in conventional CNG vehicles -- without the added complexity of existing diesel exhaust aftertreatment.

• Dramatic Emissions Reductions — The next-generation ISE CNG Hybrid System is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of CO2 by up to 40 percent as compared to conventional CNG systems, and also has lower CO2 emissions than commercially available diesel hybrid systems. In addition, ISE's CNG Hybrid System will fully comply with EPA 2010 standards for NOx and particulate emissions (PM) without the added cost and complexity of today's diesel exhaust aftertreatment systems.

• Long Life Energy Storage — The ISE CNG Hybrid System is designed to use the company's proprietary Lithium energy storage system, which provides high performance and long life, and is configured within an environmentally sealed housing.

"ISE is doing its part in the advancement of clean technology in transit with our new battery-dominant CNG Hybrid System. We believe this configuration gives mass transit customers an excellent CNG solution that will take them through the next 10 years — one that can help them save up to 40 percent on fuel and significantly reduce harmful CO2, NOx, and particulate emissions," said ISE Corp.'s President/CEO Rick Sander.

ISE says its next-generation CNG Hybrid System has more than sufficient power to handle freeway travel and the varied bus routes that are inevitably part of normal operation. The performance gains of ISE's hybrid technology provide better acceleration than conventional CNG. The battery dominant system allows the engine to run at lower speeds and power, which translates to quiet and smooth operation and contributes to longer engine life.