Rabbittransit started using ultra low sulfur diesel fuel (ULSD) in September as the nationwide distribution system switched over to the cleaner fuel.
As of today, the bus system serving the greater York area is running 16 buses on a 20 percent (B20) blend of bio/petrol diesel and a 5 percent blend (B5) fleetwide, says Richard Farr, executive director of rabbittransit.
Farr says that he notices less soot produced using biodiesel from a standing start and that the highest-mileage vans, normally out of service, are still serviceable. Rabbittransit would like to use B20 in all their vehicles and has tried negotiating with the engine manufactures of their newer vehicles that restrict the use of biodiesel to 5 percent.
Rabbitransit pioneered compressed natural gas engines in the 1980s but disbanded the project when the manufacturer of their compressing equipment went out of business -- and having two distinctly different drive trains proved to be a maintenance nightmare. With biodiesel, the mechanical requirements are the same for any blend of biodiesel with traditional diesel.
Farr would like to see rabbittransit move into electric-hybrid diesel buses in the future, saying that replacement of the battery packs, in the event of failure, has dropped from $100,000 to $30,000.
My previous blogs about diesel:
Ultra low sulphur diesel finally here - a thriving generation X & Y market
http://www.yorkblog.com/archives/2006/10/ultra_low_sulph.html
Seattle’s green transit system – more about diesel electric hybrid buses
http://www.yorkblog.com/archives/2006/10/seattles_green.html
Brownfields with green spots - local biodiesel production and its use by rabbittransit
http://www.yorkblog.com/archives/2006/04/brownfields_wit_1.html
VIDEO I PRODUCED FOR THIS STORY
NanoDiesel: Mad Max would love the stuff
http://www.yorkblog.com/archives/2006/08/nanodiesel_ener.html
York's street railway is a dream of tomorrow - Electric mass transit in York 100 years ago
http://www.yorkblog.com/archives/2006/07/yorks_street_ra.html
VIDEO I PRODUCED FOR THIS STORY
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