MRCA and Off-Sets…

PETALING JAYA: No, there is nothing new about the MRCA programme at the moment. But it appears that behind-the-scene moves for the programme are being actively pursued. As off-sets are supposed to be the deal-maker one has to wonder whether the needs of the Armed Forces will again be the second fiddle.

Anyways, with most of the RapidKL buses being replaced by new vehicles from Scania, with more to come, one has to wonder whether we will see new buses being build in Pekan soon? (Yes one can assume its for the AV8 also but note that in the story below they did not name their potential partner)

See the story below.

From Bernama:
Looking Into Zero Emission Buses For Kuala Lumpur

By Hazlinda Hamzah

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 3 (Bernama) — Just walk or drive along the roads in Kuala Lumpur and you will soon realise that the buses are among major air polluters.

The black smoke spewing from the exhaust pipes in the rear, and the racket caused by noisy engines clearly indicate the buses here are neither an environmentally friendly nor a people-friendly urban transport system.

However, the buses are still an indispensable mode of public transportation and therefore greener buses in Kuala Lumpur will not only help in reduce air- pollution but also encourage more people to use buses.

In many parts of the developed world, green buses are already in service playing an effective role in facilitating urban mobility and helping to reduce green house gas (GHG) emissions.

HYBRID SYSTEM

Among them is the HybriDrive series of buses manufactured by the BAE Systems, a United Kingdom (UK)-based company that produces efficient, low-emission hybrid electric propulsion systems for buses.

The HybriDrive Series employs a technology that powers vehicles through the adoption of a cleaner and smarter power for transit concept.

Currently, more than 3,500 buses are powered with this system and it has transported more than a billion passengers in cities across North America and the UK.

The HybriDrive engine has been used by world leading bus manufacturers including Daimler Orion, New Flyer, and Nova Bus in the United States, and Alexander Dennis and Irisbus Iveco in Europe.

This system is one of the most efficient hybrid systems having served more than 300 million miles (480 million kilometres) of revenue service, with a savings of more than 95 million litres of diesel fuel.

Developed by BAE Systems, this hybrid-electric propulsion system has eliminated approximately 280,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emission.

At least 595 of the company’s hybrids are in service currently, or will be in service, in the UK.

—Malaysian Defence