Magazine serving the bus and rail transit & motorcoach operations since 1904
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New vehicles fueled by natural gas and propane or improved to meet customer demands were displayed throughout the show floor, while APTA President/CEO Michael Melaniphy delivered the Keynote Address touting the public transit industry's growth in the U.S. BY ALEX ROMAN, Managing Editor ture, according to ROUSH. The company's propane autogas fuel system delivers equivalent horsepower, torque and towing capacity compared to gasoline versions of the same models, but emits 20% less nitrogen oxide, 60% less carbon monoxide and up to 25% less greenhouse gases. Winner of BusCon's Most Innovative New Technology, Loveland, Colo.based Lightning Hybrids showcased and hosted ride-alongs of its shuttle bus, retrofitted with a hydraulic hybrid system, which uses regenerative braking to help deliver an up to 40% improvement in fuel economy. The patent-pending hydraulic hybrid system includes two or three efficient hydraulic pumps, a unique power transfer module, a lightweight accumulator system, a valve block and certified hoses, and a proprietary control system developed in conjunction with National Instruments. At $19,995 for the hybrid retrofit, it provides a twoto three-year payback for stop-and-go drive cycles based on fuel and brake savings, according to company officials. The Vehicle Production Group (VPG) unveiled its all-new 2013 LX MV-1 model during a large-scale event that featured a host of former Chi- cago athletes, including "Mr. Cub" Ernie Banks and former Chicago Bears Keith Van Horne and Calvin Thomas, as well as cheerleaders from the Chicago Bulls and president of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, and owner of the very first MV-1 ever manufactured by VPG, Marc Buoniconti. Wrapped in the stars and stripes, the MV-1 is the only wheelchair-accessible vehicle built from the ground up in the U.S. and is available with a compressed natural gas option. Throughout BusCon, VPG held a sweepstakes where several hundred participants gave JANUARY 2013 mETRO mAGAZINE > 31