DaimlerChrysler has said that diesel-electric powered buses could make up half of the total amount of vehicles run by transit agencies in the US in the near future.

The company said that volume of hybrid buses could be reached in three to five years, according to Reuters.

That would mean a dramatic increase in the amount of diesel-electric buses on US roads, with the vehicles only accounting for ten per cent of the total US transit agency fleet at the moment.

According to Peter Scully, chief commercial officer for DaimlerChrysler Commercial Buses, the attitude of the agencies to the hybrid buses is changing considerably.

"They're all saying 'With our new bus buys, we're looking at hybrids'," he told Reuters.

"It's perfect for the urban areas, for stop and go," added Andreas Renschler, head of the company's Truck Group and Buses.

Hybrid diesel buses are becoming more attractive because of their fuel efficiency. Generators produce energy when the vehicle decelerates, meaning they can travel over an extra mile to the gallon compared with conventional diesel buses.

Ÿ Adfero Ltd