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[email protected] · December 20th 11, 10:15 AM posted to uk.transport.london,uk.transport.buses

On Tue, 20 Dec 2011 11:03:50 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 09:40:48 on Tue, 20 Dec
2011, d remarked:
I suspect like most hybrids the battery on its own can't power the vehicle for
more than a few miles so I can't believe that the system can't power the
vehicle on the generator alone. I suspect a fault.

It seems it's the other way round. The generator isn't capable of
powering the bus if the bus is motoring 100% of the time. It's in effect
a generator topping up the battery, which is also receives regen braking
charge. So the battery [alone] is powering the bus, but the whole system
will gradually run out of 'steam' if used too intensively.

These are the compromises required to get the outstanding mpg.

180hp is enough to power a double decker albeit slowly. And since its
unlikely that the battery could be charged faster than any charge would
be taken from it then any power the generator is creating will be going
to the motors - with losses via the battery - anyway. So even if after all
that only say 100hp makes it to the motors it still shouldn't grind to a
halt at the side of the road.

B2003