Pennsylvania’s rabbittransit takes delivery of three MCI Commuter Coaches, will test electric cooling system

rabbittransit has taken delivery of three new MCI Commuter Coaches. One of the new coaches is the first to feature an EMP electrical cooling system rather than the standard belt-driven fan system designed to cool the engine. The EMP system is common on many transit buses. The agency has agreed to assist MCI in tracking data and fuel usage to compare the efficiency of both systems.

The agency is adding all three new coaches to its rabbitEXPRESS service, which offers weekday service between York and Harrisburg, between York and Northern Maryland, and between Gettysburg and Harrisburg.

“rabbittransit is excited to partner with MCI on testing the EMP on our commuter service,” said Richard Farr, rabbittransit executive director. “In a day and age where resources are tight, we are interested in seeing what savings, both in fuel and maintenance costs, this technology can yield.”

“The data collected by rabbittransit will allow us to compare fuel economy and performance gains, and we will share the data with customers to allow them to make a well-informed decision on which system provides the best advantages,” said Paul Fazio, MCI director of product development. “In normal stop-and-go transit duty cycles, the system offers about a 10 percent advantage in fuel savings. We’re testing the system to learn how it performs on a three-axle coach traveling at highway speeds over long-distance routes as well as through city traffic, the typical application for our Commuter model.”

The agency’s new commuter coaches are wheelchair-lift-equipped and come with plush, forward-facing seats along with individual temperature controls, LED reading lights, 110-volt outlets and Wi-Fi connectivity.