T42 Iot Track. Regulatory News (TRAC)

9 May 2007 11:46

Traction Technology PLC09 May 2007 For immediate release: 9 May 2007 Traction Technology Plc (AIM: TRAC) Hybrid Bus on trial with Suffolk County Council / Ipswich Buses Ltd Traction Technology Plc ("Traction" or "the Company") announces that its latestenvironmentally friendly, low emission Series Diesel Electric Hybrid enginesystem has gone into service in Ipswich, Suffolk. The single-deck Optare Solo bus has entered into trials with operator, IpswichBuses Ltd. The trial, launched officially in Ipswich yesterday, Tuesday 8 May2007, will run in Ipswich City Centre on the Free Shuttle Service. Operational tests of Traction's hybrid systems have shown that carbon dioxide ("CO2") emissions are reduced by 33%, nitrogen oxide ("NOx") emissions by 38%,hydrocarbon ("HC") emissions by 99% and particulates by 39% (source: EnergySaving Trust, 2004). In addition, fuel savings of over 33% have been regularlyachieved in trials (source: the Company). Malcolm Robson, Managing Director of Ipswich Buses Ltd, welcomed the beginningof the trial. "We are all aware of the growing environmental case for changeand I am looking forward to seeing the results from a real operational test.Running a proper route and carrying real passengers will give us invaluableexperience of series hybrid technology." Nick Brayshaw, Chairman of Traction, commented: "This is the third bus we haveundertaking live trials, with the Ipswich trial joining those taking place inMerseyside and for Transport for London operator Epsom Coaches. Subject tosatisfactory performance, there is the possibility of further orders fromIpswich in the future. We are confident that we can demonstrate the advantagesof Traction's series hybrid engine system." Ends For further information contact: Traction Technology plc Parkgreen Communications LimitedNick Brayshaw, Chairman Brendan McNamara / Lucy Lake+44 (0) 1403 791 392 +44 (0) 20 7851 7480 Beaumont Cornish LimitedRoland Cornish, Chairman+44 (0) 207 628 3396 Notes to Editors About the Company Traction was formed to exploit the growing demand for environmentally friendlytechnology. In May 2006 it acquired the assets, including the intellectualproperty, of Eneco Limited, a company in administration, which had previouslyoperated in this sector as a designer and manufacturer of hybrid power packs forinstallation into buses. How the technology works Traction's series hybrid power pack technology used in Hybrid Electric Vehicles("HEVs") differs from the parallel hybrid technology currently used in somepassenger cars. Under Traction's system, the vehicle's wheels are driven by anelectric traction motor powered by batteries which are recharged by a dieselengine. In parallel hybrids, there is a direct link between the engine and thewheels, where a normal internal combustion engine is supplemented by an electricmotor. The battery is kept fully charged by a 1.9 litre diesel engine, which isidentical in size to an engine in a family car (this compares with standardbuses that are typically powered by a four litre diesel engine). The dieselengine does not drive the bus. It acts as an on-board generator for theelectric motor and, consequently, can always run at near optimum efficiency. Acontrol system determines how much power comes from the battery and how muchfrom the engine/generator at any one time. Sensors on the batteries identifywhen they need recharging and this activates the diesel engine. The bus alsobenefits from regenerative braking: when the vehicle brakes, energy which isnormally wasted is instead recycled and used to charge the battery pack The significant advantage of Traction's system is that, because the dieselengine is not directly connected to the wheels, it does not have to provide thewidely varying power demands of the stop-start cycle; it is therefore able tooperate in a narrow power range at close to optimum efficiency. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange