ISE Heavy-Duty Gasoline Hybrid-Electric Drive Systems Available to Any US Transit Agency Through Minnesota DOT Contract

The State of Minnesota Department of Transportation (MN-DOT) has approved two ISE bus manufacturer partners—New Flyer and ElDorado—to supply their chassis together with ISE’s gasoline series hybrid-electric drive system as a qualified option under the terms of the recently released contract. (Earlier post.) This unique contract also allows any US Transit Agency to buy off this contract that allows for up to 1,000 bus purchases which may include ISE’s Gasoline Hybrid Drive systems.

The gasoline hybrid system uses the light weight Ford V10 gasoline engine and is the only commercially available hybrid-electric drive system for transit buses using gasoline fuel. The gasoline hybrid system produces lower emissions than any competing diesel hybrid drive system.

ISE has received 2010 certification for its gasoline hybrid-electric drive system from the California Air Resources Board (CARB). This is the first engine certification issued in 2010 by CARB in the Hybrid Urban Bus category.

To take advantage of these purchase options created by the Minnesota contract, transit agency orders for ISE’s 2010 hybrid drive system will need to be processed by 31 December 2010 to comply with the Minnesota DOT contract specifications.

Each OEM could sell up to 500 hybrid buses under the Minnesota DOT Contract, assuming Minnesota DOT exercises the bus options or transfers the options to another agency. Furthermore, the US Department of Transportation (US-DOT) has authorized Minnesota DOT to transfer these options to any US Transit Agency, thereby opening this bus procurement.

This new opportunity extended by the US DOT now allows transit agencies with limited resources to piggyback on RFPs that are already approved. The transit agencies can purchase buses using the approved Minnesota RFP options for new bus orders without having to go through their own RFP process.

ISE is a leading developer, manufacturer and distributor of heavy duty hybrid-electric drive systems based on core proprietary technology focused on three critical subsystems: energy storage, controls software and power electronics. ISE specializes in series hybrid-electric and all-electric/zero emission technologies. Over the past 10 years, ISE has sold more than 300 hybrid-electric drive systems that have demonstrated reliability and performance in more than 13 million miles of fleet operation.