DaimlerChrysler's transit bus brand, Orion, has received an order for 56 hybrid diesel electric buses, it has been revealed.

The destination of the buses will be San Francisco, and were ordered by the San Francisco Municipal Railway with an option for 56 more units in the future.

Designed to drastically reduce emissions and increase fuel savings, Orion also claims that the buses outperform conventionally-powered vehicles.

To be delivered in 2006, the buses are the first production hybrid diesel-electric units ordered by a California transit system, and is the fourth largest order ever for hybrid buses.

"Hybrid electric drive provides an outstanding combination of improved efficiency, reduced emissions, and improved performance," explained Stuart Sunshine, San Francisco Municipal Railway general manager.

The buses will be driven by BAE Systems's HybriDrive propulsion system, which propels the bus with a single electric motor powered by a diesel-driven generator.

In June, California' governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, committed the state to a plan designed to reduce the region's emissions to make it a "leader in the fight against global warming".


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