Kiessling Transit Doubles Hybrid-Bus Fleet to Nearly 70 Vehicles

Kiessling Transit has announced that it is doubling the number of environmentally friendly passenger buses in its Massachusetts fleet.

The company is retrofitting 32 of its transport buses with the Lightning Hybrids’ Energy Recovery System (ERS), a system that improves fuel efficiency by 25 percent and reduces tailpipe emissions. The order by Kiessling Transit follows the rollout last year of 35 vehicles with this technology to transport passengers, which followed a one system pilot in 2013.

“We are the only transit fleet in Massachusetts running hybrid buses that do not pollute the air the way diesel and gasoline buses do,” said Roger Kiessling, chief operations officer, Kiessling Transit. “Our company is focused on providing the most efficient, reliable, environmentally friendly transportation to the New England area, and this innovative fuel-saving, emissions-reducing system supports our goal to be a green fleet.”

Kiessling Transit, which is based in Norfolk, MA, contracts with regional transit authorities, state agencies and local municipalities to transport passengers throughout Massachusetts. The company provides daily trips to and from residences, work sites, schools, medical appointments and social events for ambulatory and non-ambulatory customers with a wide range of disabilities.

Lightning Hybrids, a Colorado-based developer and manufacturer of the Energy Recovery System (ERS) for medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses, provided Kiessling Transit with the new technology for its transport vehicles. Lightning Hybrids’ system is a patented, parallel hydraulic hybrid system that has no electric batteries. Instead, it applies a hydraulic system to the driveline of a vehicle to regenerate braking energy. Hydraulic pumps and a lightweight accumulator brake the vehicle, store the energy, and then use that stored energy to provide power to the wheels.

“Kiessling Transit is an innovator and an early adopter of green technologies,” said Tim Reeser, president and co-founder, Lightning Hybrids. “This new order demonstrates Kiessling’s commitment to sustainability by using a system that is more efficient and better for the environment.”

Kiessling Transit received a grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that pays for 80 percent of the cost of the new order for 32 Lightning Hybrids’ system to be installed on the company’s Ford E-450 passenger buses, keeping pollutants out of the air in Massachusetts and reducing fossil fuel use.

When put in service, the buses will provide an immediate positive impact on the environment due to the reduced emissions of the system. For example, vehicles with Lightning Hybrids’ technology produce half of the NO_x emissions and 25 percent fewer CO₂ emissions, compared to vehicles without the company’s system. In addition to these emissions reductions, the Kiessling fleet will see decreased fuel use, longer brake life, better low-end torque, and lower maintenance and operational costs.

The Boston-area company’s original vehicles that use the Lightning Hybrids’ system have recorded close to a total of one million miles, helping the company to realize an increase in fuel efficiency of 25 percent and significantly reduced tailpipe emissions.

The hydraulic hybrid product was installed and is being maintained by Lightning Hybrids’ East Coast distributor, National Fleet Hybrids, located in Attleboro, MA “The ERS technology is a much-needed addition to the medium and heavy-duty vehicle market,” said Glen Perlman, president, National Fleet Hybrids. “It addresses the main concerns of our customers, which are managing fuel costs and addressing clean air standards.”