Eco Factor: Traveling via a green city bus helps to reduce fuel consumption as well as air pollution. Keeping your car parked in a garage and opting for a public transportation will fetch you a few green points for sure. But Volvo is keen to bump up your green efforts by presenting a hybrid passenger city bus. The Volvo 7700 Hybrid is the first commercially available hybrid bus that promises to reduce fuel consumption by 30%. This is a perfect solution to dilemmas of escalating gasoline prices and also rising carbon footprints. Powered by a Euro V diesel engine and christened I-SAM, this green bus gets the necessary thrust with a combination of start motor, electric motor, generator and an electronic control unit. For a more powerful thrust, a lithium-ion battery is fitted that gets charged while braking. 
Cleverly fluctuating between the two engines, that is the diesel and the electric motor, this bus is a must-have for intra-city drives, where the speed of the vehicle is obstructed by signals and traffic congestion. 
The steering, doors and air-conditioning are powered by the electric motors, saving on a substantial amount of fuel. Don’t expect to step on these buses in this year at least as the first of the lot will be delivered to customers during 2009. However, mass production is scheduled for early 2010. The Dark Side: Though it is undeniably an uber-green mode of transport, makers could also include a solar powered roof top for absorbing all the solar energy that can be used to juice up other features inside the bus. Via: Allaboutbuses
