Better, Faster, Cheaper: New Battery May Technology May Be on Horizon

A better battery may be coming for the next generation of hybrid-electric school buses. Several sources report on a new report in Nature from scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on a new design for lithium ion batteries that allows the batteries to recharge more quickly. The similar lithium ion batteries are already in some hybrid-electric school buses and scheduled to to be in the Chevy Volt. But these can't accelerate quickly says Professor Gerbrand Ceder . The paper discusses a solution which has applications for laptops, cell phones and hybrid-electric vehicles. A great report at MSNBC, explains the science the behind the idea. The report also says that hybrid vehicle applications have some complications because the batteries are electricity-chuggers:

The ideal situation would be to have a network of high-power electric charging stations, which would allow you to juice up your electric vehicle on the road much as people fuel up their gas guzzlers today. Ceder and Kang estimate that an 180-kilowatt power source could give a full charge to the typical plug-in car's 15-kilowatt-hour battery in five minutes.

For school buses, with dedicated, regular runs, this probably wouldn't be as much of a problem. According to Scientific American story on the same report, the batteries would also be cheaper. This, coupled with increased production, would likely drive down vehicle costs. [On a side note, for willing to dirty their hands with the coments from the peanut gallery, comments below on the MSNBC story have a fascinating discussion of the real "greeness" of hybrid technology.]

Take a Seat: M2K, Takata Buy SynTec Seating Solutions

The exclusive seat provider to Thomas Built Buses is now formally known as Syntec Seating Solutions LLC, following a joint acquisition by M2K Seating Solutions LLC and TK Holdings Inc., a subsidiary of Takata. Company owner Ron Lampartner says, " “We intend to be a major seat supplier to entire industry ... Whatever any OEM might possibly want in seating, we are going to be in a position to give it to them.” Read the whole article

Mark Your Calendar: CNG Best Practices Workshop

AFVi and NGVi have announced a best practices workshop online. The 90-minute session will examine proper maintenance of CNG infrastructure. Leo Thomason, Executive Director of NGVi and Director of Training and Consulting for AFVi, are scheduled to lead the Webinar. Topics to include:

• CNG Fueling Station Components and Their Function
• Standard Maintenance Procedures for Pressure Relief Valves, Dryers, Compressors, Control Systems, Storage and Dispensers
• How to Identify and Trouble Shoot Oil Carryover
• Solving Oil Carryover at the CNG Fueling Station

Webinar runs on Tuesday, March 24, 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT. Sign up online for $49.95. Can't wait until then? Check out this from our August 2008 issue on what it takes to fill alt fleets.

Plugging Into Hybrid Futures

In 2009, everyone is talking plug-in hybrids, but do we have the infrastructure ready? Cheryl Jensen at the Washington Times automotive section reflects on the theme after a major auto show, asking whether she's pulled a Rip Van Winkle and "missed the years of the necessary infrastructure being put in place - and awoke to an electrified future." She asks, "How would my mother-in-law recharge one from the 33rd floor of her New York City apartment?"

Pupil transporters don't often find themselves in an office on the 33rd floor, but they want hybrids and they may have to prep to get their yard ready for hybrids. In Napa Valley, Calif., Ralph Knight had to change his power breakers from 110 volts at 10 amps to 220 volts at 30 amps to enable a four-hour rather than eight-hour charge. But Knight already had the charging stations set up from his experiments in all-electric school buses. What would it take to get your yard up to snuff?

Fire On the Bus Demonstration

Last month over on Daily Routes, we posted a story on school bus fire extrication procedures from a fire fighter's perspective. One of our new readers expressed excitement about putting this issue out there:

"Our goal, of course, is to always keep kids safe. Can we do a better job?? You bet. We can work with our "community partners" to better plan and prepare. If you don't know who your emergency manager, fire chief, police chief is, today is a good day to get acquainted. Ask permission to go to one of their staff meetings. They want to help us and in doing so, we help them."

On the same note, we recently posted a video of Denny Coughlin from Minneapolis Public Schools discussing the importance of training for school bus drivers. In this demonstation from the 2007 School Transportation News EXPO and Trade Show, he expands on the idea and shows what it's actually like inside a smoke-filled bus.

About That Hydrogen Powered Bus...

This week we look at a new report from the U.S. Department of Energy on the hydrogen-powered school bus. It seems operators looking for the next green thing are going to have to wait a bit. The technology is too expensive and not durable enough, the report notes:

"Given these issues [public health and fuel economy], school bus operators are increasingly receptive to new technologies, but their willingness to demonstrate and deploy advanced technologies and alternative fuels must be balanced with strict financial and operational considerations."

Greater availability may lead to greater viability for the alt-fuel, however. Read the whole report to Congress or a separate report that looks at progress and plans for the future [both PDFs].

In the meantime, one product, a kids' DVD on how IC Buses are made is nearly ready to ship. How'd They Build That School Bus? goes on sale later this month. A preview from our YouTube site below.

On STNOnline: No PowerStroke for Ford

Today on STNOnline, we report on how the conclusion of the dispute between Ford and Navistar means an end to Navistar's PowerStroke diesel engine in Ford Type-As. Some small bus builders say they're not worried about the announcement because they've already shifted towards gasoline engines or GM competition.