PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF HYBRID-DRIVE BUSES AND POTENTIAL FUEL SAVINGS IN BRAZILIAN URBAN TRANSIT

Buses are the most common transit mode in Brazil, with a fleet of about 55,000 buses servicing Brazil\u27s main state capitals. Most of these vehicles use diesel oil, which leads to dependence on oil, extensive greenhouse gas emissions and increasing air pollution in urban areas. In order to improve this situation, the options for Brazilian cities include the use of alternative fuels and new propulsion technologies, such as hybrid vehicles. This article proposes a procedure for evaluating the performance of a recently developed Brazilian hybrid-drive technology. A simple procedure is presented to compare hybrid-drive buses with conventional diesel buses in urban operation, focusing on fuel economy and the potential for reducing diesel oil consumption through the use of hybrid-drive buses. Results from field tests indicate that the use of hybrid-drive buses would significantly reduce fuel consumption, resulting in lower fuel costs and carbon dioxide emissions. Suggestions for further testing and research are discussed