Metro News Release

For immediate release: January 25, 2006

Metro Introduces its Newest Diesel Electric Hybrid Buses to its Fleet

Metrobus riders will have the opportunity to catch a cleaner mode of travel as early as this week as Metro’s newest diesel hybrid electric buses hit the streets.

The initial deployment of six buses will operate in Maryland. Between now and March, Metro will receive 50 hybrid electric buses. The first 25 buses will operate from the Landover Metrobus Division. The remaining 25 will roll out of the Montgomery Metrobus Division.

The "New Flyer" buses are powered by General Motors’ clean hybrid technology and offer greater fuel economy and lower emissions than conventional diesel buses. The 40-foot buses also feature onboard video cameras, wheelchair ramps, vandal resistant padded seats, driver-controlled rear doors, overhead doorway lights, lighted steps to the rear upper section of the bus, an interior bus stop annunciation sign, an automated bus stop voice annunciator and an automated vehicle maintenance monitoring system.

Purchased from New Flyer of America, Inc., at a cost of $521,980 apiece, the new hybrid electric buses "represent another important component of Metro’s efforts to improve air quality in the region," said Metro Board member Charles Deegan.

The first 39 buses (numbered 6001 to 6039) will reflect the current exterior styling for Metrobus. The last 11 buses (numbered 6040 to 6050) will feature the newly redesigned "next generation" of New Flyer buses. Metro will be the first U.S. transit agency to receive these restyled buses, which will be delivered between February and March 2006.

"We are committed to being a leader when it comes to improving regional air quality," Mr. Deegan said. "By its very nature, public transit keeps cars from our already clogged roadways, which means less automobile emissions. Metro is taking an important additional step by making sure that the buses that we put on the roadways are environmentally-friendly. These hybrid electric vehicles help us accomplish that mission."

"When going through the selection process, we reviewed various types of alternative fuel and hybrid propulsion systems for buses," said Jack Requa, chief operating officer for Metrobus. "The decision to go with the hybrid system was based on its proven use in other transit systems, and the overall benefits that the system will provide Metro and its passengers."

The hybrid technology in these new buses deliver significantly better fuel economy than traditional transit buses and produces up to 60 percent fewer oxides of nitrogen emissions and up to 90 percent fewer particulates, hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions. Other benefits of the buses include reduced maintenance costs resulting from extended brake, engine oil and transmission oil life; superior torque, giving 50 percent faster acceleration than conventional diesel buses and operational sound levels approaching that of passenger cars.

"We commend Washington Metro’s leadership for their decision and commitment to choose GM’s hybrid technology," said Tom Stephens, group Vice President, for General Motors Powertrain. "If the U.S. had only 1,000 GM hybrid powered buses operating in major cities, the cumulative savings would be more than 1.5 million gallons of fuel annually."

"We have enjoyed considerable success in commercializing hybrid technology for the transit industry," said John Marinucci, President and CEO of New Flyer. "We are extremely pleased with the excellent reliability rates and significant fuel economy and maintenance cost savings our customers are reporting, and are proud to be able to showcase these products in the US capital."

Last year, Metro committed itself to a five-year program aimed at dramatically improving the Metrobus system. The comprehensive, multi-year Metrobus Capital Improvement Program features new buses for growth and replacement, enhanced customer information features and new and improved Metrobus facilities. Metro has a fleet of 1,443 buses serving 350 routes and accumulating 48 million revenue service miles each year.

The introduction of these new diesel electric hybrid buses will help reduce the average age of the Metrobus fleet," said Metro’s interim and incoming General Manager and CEO Dan Tangherlini. "With 417 new buses coming online by June 2006, the average age of the Metrobus fleet will drop from 10.1 years to seven years by this summer, another sign that we are continuing to make progress in improving Metrobus service."

The clean hybrid technology is manufactured by GM’s Allison Transmission, maker of transmissions and hybrid propulsion systems for commercial trucks, buses, off-highway equipment and military vehicles, headquartered in Indianapolis. New Flyer of America Inc., manufactures the buses. New Flyer is headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada), with two facilities in the U.S. and is the largest manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses in North America.

News release issued on January 25, 2006.