As the US continues its drive to develop more clean energy technologies, San Joaquin Regional Transit District in California has announced the launch of 50 diesel-electric hybrid buses.

In a bid to improve fuel economy so as to reduce costs, the agency has announced that it will be spending $24.5 million on the hybrid buses, the first ten of which should be up and running in the region by August, the San Joaquin News reports.

The agency intends to replace all its buses with hybrids by 2017, as they offer nearly twice the mileage of the current fleet and are therefore considered to have long term benefits.

The hybrids are also more environmentally-friendly, reducing the amount of emissions the vehicles put into the atmosphere, helping the agency to meet California's strict laws on emission control.

Earlier this year New York officials revealed that the state is looking to purchase 500 diesel-electric buses to come into use early in 2006.


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