In the coming months all conventional diesel-powered city buses in the Dutch town of Dordrecht will be replaced by hybrid buses. Public transport company Arriva will officially introduce the first of the new buses on Monday. Dordrecht is the first Dutch town to introduce a 100 percent hybrid-powered bus service.

Last year, Arriva received a six-million-euro subsidy from the province of South Holland to purchase the new buses from Swedish car manufacturer Volvo. The buses run on electric energy, which is supplied by either a diesel-powered generator or by an electric engine powered by a battery which is charged by recycling the brake energy. The diesel engine switches off at bus stops and the vehicle pulls away using only the electric engine.

(gsh/rk)

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