Yosemite National Park Celebrates Delivery of GM Hybrid-Powered Buses

(2005-05-01)

YOSEMITE - The National Park Service demonstrated its ongoing commitment to preserving the natural beauty and environment of its national parks today by celebrating the delivery of a new fleet of 18 Gillig shuttle buses to Yosemite National Park that are powered by GM's advanced hybrid technology. This is the first fleet of hybrid buses to operate in a U.S. National Park.

The fleet of hybrid buses will be maintained and operated by DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite, Inc. The buses will shuttle visitors in Yosemite Valley and in the Mariposa Grove of Sequoias. Yosemite joins the growing ranks of cities, counties and transit authorities that have invested in GM's advanced hybrid propulsion system for buses, which offers greater fuel economy and dramatically lower emissions over conventional diesel buses. GM hybrid-equipped buses are operating in 22 cities across the country.

National Park Service Deputy Director Don Murphy welcomed leaders from the General Services Administration who procured the buses for the park; and executives from bus manufacturer Gillig and GM; as they announced the delivery at a press conference today in the Yosemite Valley.

The National Park Service's concern for increasing noise and emissions levels in the Yosemite Valley were the main factors behind the decision to replace its existing fleet of conventional diesel buses with hybrid-powered buses.

"These GM hybrid-powered buses exemplify the National Park Service's efforts to simultaneously provide unparalleled visitor service while taking a leadership role in greening the environment through federal fleet and transportation efficiency," said Murphy.

In addition to improved fuel economy and a reduction of certain emissions by up to 90 percent, the GM hybrid system delivers superior torque; derived from the dual electric motors used to launch the bus, with 50-percent better acceleration than conventional diesel buses. All of this is achieved with operating sound levels comparable to that of passenger cars. The hybrid powertrain also helps to extend brake, engine oil and transmission oil life.

"GM's hybrid technology offers significantly reduced noise and emissions, qualities that are particularly important and beneficial to Yosemite, one of America's great national treasures," said Beth Lowery, GM vice president of Environment and Energy. "We applaud the National Park Service for its efforts to protect the park's environment today and to help preserve it for generations to come."

The clean hybrid technology is manufactured by GM Allison Transmission, maker of transmissions and hybrid propulsion systems for commercial trucks, buses, off-highway equipment and military vehicles, headquartered in Indianapolis. Gillig Corp. of Hayward, Calif., manufactured the buses, as well as most of the diesel buses being replaced. Many were more than 20 years old.

"This bus uses the most efficient parallel hybrid architecture available in the world today, and has served as a starting point for GM's co-development of a two-mode full hybrid system for applications in trucks, cars and sport utility vehicles with a variety of drive configurations, such as front-, rear- and all-wheel drive," said Tom Stephens, group vice president of GM Powertrain. "GM will launch the two-mode full hybrid in 2007 in the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon."

The hybrid buses will operate year-round, carry up to 1,050 passengers per hour, and provide continuous service to visitors for 15 hours a day. Yosemite Valley ridership averages 17,800 passengers per day on busy days and can reach up to 23,000 passengers.

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader since 1931. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 321,000 people around the world. It has manufacturing operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in 200 countries. In 2004, GM sold nearly 9 million cars and trucks globally, up 4 percent and the second-highest total in the company's history. GM's global headquarters are at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com. GM's corporate responsibility web site, www.gmability.com, contains additional information about GM's environmental initiatives.