Capstone Order From DesignLine for Denver RTD Electric Bus Fleet

Capstone Turbine Corporation (www.capstoneturbine.com) (Nasdaq:CPST), the world’s leading clean-technology manufacturer of microturbine energy systems, today announced that it received an order for thirty-four liquid fuel C30s for use in DesignLine’sEco Saver IV range extended electric buses.

The buses are expected to be delivered to Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) later this year.

The new Denver RTD buses will operate on the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver. The new buses will replace 36 TransTeq mall buses that were bought in 1999 and are now at the end of their useful life, according to RTD officials. Two Capstone-equipped DesignLine buses have been in service for over a year on the mall, and they have better maintenance records than the TransTeq vehicles, according to RTD officials.

The DesignLine range extended electric buses are 45 feet long and have three wide passenger doors to speed loading and unloading. They are low-floor buses, meaning that there are no steps from the entrances into the passenger compartment, which improves access for people with handicaps.

The DesignLine buses have an all-electric drivetrain using state-of-the-art lithium ion batteries for energy storage. The batteries are used to power the electric motors, which drive the bus, and all accessories such as air conditioning, power steering and lighting.

The lithium ion batteries recover kinetic energy from the bus brakes via a regenerative braking system to extend the range. The batteries are recharged by the Capstone 30kW microturbine, running on clean diesel or biodiesel. The microturbine recharges the batteries on the fly and shuts down when the batteries reach the desired state of charge. The Capstone microturbine produces extremely low emissions and noise compared to a traditional engine, with no requirements for complex exhaust aftertreatment or additional additives.

Capstone and DesignLine recently executed a new five-year OEM agreement, marking a renewed commitment to the long-standing relationship. “We have seen a measurable improvement in DesignLine operations since Joe Smith was named President and CEO in 2012,” said Darren Jamison, Capstone President and Chief Executive Officer.

“Joe is a wily bus industry veteran and the former President of the New York MTA who first interacted with DesignLine while he was still at MTA. Joe became interested in the company’s technology and now is a big proponent of Capstone. In his position as the President and CEO of DesignLine we can work together to promote DesignLine buses equipped with the Capstone product to the bus market,” added Jamison.

About Capstone Turbine Corporation
Capstone Turbine Corporation (www.capstoneturbine.com) (Nasdaq:CPST) is the world’s leading producer of low-emission microturbine systems, and was the first to market commercially viable microturbine energy products. Capstone Turbine has shipped over 6,500 Capstone Microturbine systems to customers worldwide. These award-winning systems have logged millions of documented runtime operating hours. 

 

Category: General Update, Green, Vehicles