More News
- >> The Star Press - Union City company wants state to buy into hybrid bus project
- >> WTHR - Hybrid-electric school bus to soon roll on Indiana roads
- >> PCI National Sales Manager meets world renowned environmentalist Ed Begley Jr.
- >> Lugar Names Rob Lykins Energy Patriot
The Star Press - Union City company wants state to buy into hybrid bus project
UNION CITY -- A Randolph County manufacturer has retrofitted a diesel school bus with hybrid technology, and today the Indiana School Bus Committee will decide whether to adopt its first hybrid safety standards to allow that bus, a prototype, and others on Hoosier roads.
It's a move that could revolutionize how school buses operate and how much school corporations spend to maintain them.
But at Productive Concepts Inc. (PCI) in Union City, it could be the start to a massive, national expansion, and possibly create more local jobs.
For the past 10 months, Rob Lykins, president of PCI, has worked with the Indiana Department of Education to bring hybrid technology to existing school buses. He partnered with Randolph Eastern Schools and created what he and others in the state consider to be the first school bus with a hybrid system.
New hybrid buses can cost $250,000-$350,000, while retrofitting an existing bus with a hybrid system will cost $40,000-$50,000, according to Cathy Stephen, superintendent of Randolph Eastern.
"If this thing works, it's going to have a tremendous impact on school transportation," said Ron Chew, a South Henry school bus driver for 28 years and president of the Indiana Association of School Bus Drivers. Chew is one of seven members of the state school bus committee who will vote today on the new hybrid safety standards.
"They've got something that will be on the path to mass production," Chew said.
 | Kyle Evens / The Star Press Variable Torque Motors installed a hybrid electric motor in the drivetrain of a school bus. The motor will save 25 to 30 percent on fuel costs along with reducing emissions by 30 percent. The motor will also reduce brake wear by 80 percent. The green part represent the only modifications to a school bus. |
Inquiries from U.S., Canada
According to the National Association for Pupil Transportation Foundation, more than 24 million school-aged children are transported by about 440,000 school buses in the U.S. each year.
Those statistics are like gold to Lykins, an entrepreneur who isn't shy about his big dreams. Other school officials have heard about his project, and Lykins said he's started a list of potential customers, and has talked to people from at least 50 school corporations in Indiana, Ohio, Florida, California and Canada. All are waiting on today's approval.
The bus passed an initial Indiana State Police inspection last week, Lykins said, and will go through another test today.
"We believe we're going to be very busy tomorrow," Lykins said.
How it works
The plan is to connect a hybrid electric system to a bus' drive shaft. The system, purchased from Variable Torque Motors, LLC of Fort Wayne, includes an electric motor, a controller (the brains) and an ultracapacitor, a unit that stores and transfers energy. The ultracapacitor works much like a car battery.
In this configuration, there is no battery, and no need to plug the bus in to a power source at the end of the day.
The system is designed for start and stop driving, and Lykins said as long as the bus runs around or below 35 mph, the electric motor is powering the bus.
Lykins estimates that the hybrid system will result in a 25-35 percent fuel savings, and a similar reduction in emissions.
Additionally, the electric system should cut brake maintenance and replacement costs in half. That savings comes from regenerative braking. When the driver steps off the brake or off the gas, the kinetic energy from that move is stored and redirected to the ultracapacitor.
 | Kyle Evens / The Star Press Technicians for Variable Torque Motors finish running tests on the hybrid electric motor installed on the school bus. The motor will save 25 to 30 percent on fuel cost along with reducing emissions by 30 percent. The motor will also reduce brake wear by 80 percent. |
Economic development
The savings could have a huge impact on school budgets in Indiana and beyond. At Randolph Eastern Stephen said her district is "spending at least two-to-three times as much on fuel as we used to due to rising fuel costs."
Stephen said the list of potential benefits is long -- use and spend less on diesel fuel; save on the wear and tear of brakes; and fewer emissions, which is good for student passengers and for the environment.
At the end of each school day, the transportation director can connect the bus to a computer and analyze data, including peak and low speeds and mpg.
"We were interested in helping with the first one because this is something that can be great for schools in general," Stephen said, "but also provides a wonderful economic development opportunity for Randolph County."
Click here for original artical
