Press releases

Public Transit Agencies Weigh In on Performance, Sustainability, and Fuel Efficiency of ISE Corporation's Gasoline Hybrid Drive Systems

Gasoline hybrid drive systems give transit agencies an alternative to conventional diesel with simple exhaust after-treatment, quieter operation, lower tail-pipe emissions including PM, CO2, and NOx.

SAN DIEGO, CA, September 30, 2009 — Since ISE Corporation filled its first order for gasoline hybrid buses with San Bernardino County's Omnitrans in 2001, many other transit agencies have followed suit. By supplementing their fleets with ISE gasoline hybrids, these agencies are operating more efficiently with reduced maintenance and fewer road calls while exceeding the latest CARB (California Air Resources Board) and EPA-2010 emission standards.

"Transit agencies that have adopted ISE systems have furthered our development process and helped us build up to the levels of reliability that we can offer today. Partnering with customers like Long Beach Transit, who are really pioneers, has helped ISE develop an efficient, cleaner alternative to diesel systems," said Rick Sander, ISE's President and CEO.

Transit Agencies Choosing ISE's Gasoline Hybrid Systems
"Today, nearly half of our 40' fleet at Long Beach Transit is comprised of gasoline hybrid systems. We began partnering with ISE's engineering team in 2003 to help create a gasoline hybrid system that continues to improve in reliability," said Rolando Cruz, Executive Director and Vice President of Maintenance and Facilities at Long Beach Transit. ISE gasoline hybrid systems make up the majority of the fleet at Long Beach Transit. The agency's impetus to change came from a vision of working with ISE that Jim Ditch, then at the helm, communicated to his successor Rolando Cruz. Long Beach Transit's partnership with ISE resulted in the first large production order for gasoline hybrid systems in revenue service.

"The service and support that the staff at ISE provides ensures that we are well trained to maintain this part of our fleet, and their continued technical support gives us the confidence that we have a partner working with us," said James Samuel, Maintenance Manager at Fresno Area Express.

A Smoother Ride for Public Transit Bus Passengers
"Our ISE gasoline hybrid buses provide excellent acceleration and a smooth, quiet ride that is important to our passengers," said Richard Hunt, General Manager, Metro San Fernando Valley. Performance and comfort are key drivers for transit agencies because they are important factors that can positively influence ridership.

Greater System Reliability of Buses Reduces Delays, Down Time
"ISE Corp's hybrid drive systems have allowed us to drastically improve our mean distance between road calls," said Claire Spielberg, Chief Operating Officer of Transit Services at San Diego Metro Transit. System reliability is a critical requirement for transit agencies and reduced road calls translate into uninterrupted service for passengers and lower costs overall.

"With our gasoline hybrid buses we have seen a dramatic reduction in how often we perform routine brake replacements. In over 8.5 million operational miles we have only conducted 3 brake relines," said Juan Vigil, QA and Maintenance Technology Manager at Long Beach Transit. Increased brake life is directly related to regenerative braking functionality that is a critical part of the ISE gasoline hybrid system. Regenerative braking recaptures kinetic energy from the vehicle and recharges the vehicle's energy storage system resulting in greater fuel efficiency.

Gasoline Hybrids Expand Beyond California
"We are awaiting delivery of our first gasoline hybrid bus, which meets our goals for sustainability and makes us the first city outside of California to deploy an ISE gasoline hybrid system," said Carmen Monroy, Grants Analyst at Florida's LeeTran. LeeTran and ISE are working together in a public/private partnership sponsored by Florida Department of Transportation.

ISE Meets 2010 Emission Standards
"Transit agencies have demonstrated their dedication to improving air quality by choosing ISE's gasoline hybrids. ISE solutions provide a technology leap that delivers substantially lower emissions than those permitted by the EPA's diesel standards for 2010," said Alex Bernasconi, Sr. Vice President of Sales and Marketing at ISE Corp.


About ISE Corporation:
ISE Corporation, based in San Diego, CA, is a world leading supplier of hybrid-electric drive systems and components for sustainable, heavy-duty transportation applications. ISE specializes in series hybrid-electric, all-electric, and fuel cell technologies and offers industry leading energy management solutions and system components. Learn more about ISE at www.isecorp.com.

ISE Contact:
Alex Bernasconi
Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, ISE Corporation
abernasconi@isecorp.com

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