Hybrids in Indianapolis

We spent today in Indianapolis, visiting folks at GM’s Allison Transmission Division.  Allison makes transmissions for commercial and military applications, including transit buses. The division was the first to discover the advantages of a parallel hybrid system (as apposed to a series hybrid), and developed the system 5 years ago for use in transit buses.  In recent years, the division has gone a step further and re-engineered its system to be used in GM’s light-duty cars and trucks.  The first application of the new two-mode hybrid system will be launched later this year on the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon, and will be featured next year on DaimlerChrysler’s Dodge Durango.  When meeting with the hybrid team in Indianapolis, we were not only amazed at the amount of development work and the “get it done” spirit that exists within the facility, but also by the team’s pure enthusiasm over its product and belief that it is future of the auto industry.

Since beginning production in 2003, Allison has made 588 deliveries of its hybrid transit system and is by far the industry leader in the segment.  Their product is operating in 46 North American cities, as well as Shanghai, Dresden and other places across the globe.  Worldwide interest is growing rapidly, and fleets in France, Austria, Istanbul, Switzerland and elsewhere are showing interest in purchasing their own.

And while these buses sure have environmental advantages, there is a whole host of other features that make them ideal for communities everywhere.