12 Sep 2014 07:00
12 September 2014
Torotrak plc
("Torotrak", the "Company" or the "Group")
Flybrid bus KERS technology fitted to first customer busready for start of public service trials
Torotrak plc (LSE: TRK) announces that Wrightbus has exhibited its prototype bus fitted with the Flybrid KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) application at the Cenex Low Carbon Vehicle (LCV) exhibition.
Wrightbus estimates a five year operator payback for the technology, and exhibiting the KERS-equipped bus at the Cenex LCV show marks a major step forward in the development programme. The KERS technology, which could reduce bus operators' fuel bills by up to 15 percent, is progressing to public service trials. Following a successful validation programme, the new Flybrid bus KERS, developed by Torotrak, will enter service with Arriva in the autumn. The bus displayed at the event is the first customer bus from Arriva to be fitted with the KERS system and will be the first fully mechanical hybrid bus to travel on a public service route in the UK.
As part of the project with Wrightbus, Torotrak has also developed a highly accurate route simulation tool which enables operators to calculate the potential savings on various routes using the Flybrid system. This has been validated by extensive testing using the industry standard duty cycles at Millbrook Proving Ground.
Operators can also expect further savings from the purely mechanical system, which uses no high voltages and is designed for the full service life of the bus. With no additional training costs and low lifetime maintenance, Torotrak believes resale values for these Flybrid-equipped vehicles will also remain high.
Jeremy Deering, Torotrak's Chief Executive said: "We believe this is going to be the most cost-effective bus hybrid technology on the market, because the financial savings pay for the technology roughly in the first third of a bus's operating life, the system is commercially highly attractive to fleets. We believe this will lead to high take up of our technology, delivering a significant reduction in CO2 emissions especially in urban environments."
For more information, please visit www.torotrak.com or contact:
Torotrak plc Jeremy Deering, Chief Executive / Rex Vevers, Finance Director | Tel: +44 1772 900931 |
Charles Stanley Securities (financial adviser and joint broker to Torotrak) Marc Milmo / Karri Vuori / Carl Holmes | Tel: +44 20 7149 6000 |
N+1 Singer (joint broker to Torotrak) Andrew Craig / Ben Wright | Tel: +44 20 7496 3000 |
Tavistock Communications (financial PR) Simon Hudson / Lulu Bridges / James Collins | Tel: +44 20 7920 3150 |
Notes to Editors
Torotrak is a leading developer and supplier of variable drive transmission, engine boosting and kinetic energy recovery systems for vehicles. Our portfolio of technology solutions substantially improves fuel economy and reduces CO2 emissions in vehicles through harnessing the power of supercharging to enable engine downsizing, capturing and recycling energy that would otherwise be lost and managing the engine at the optimum point.
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