Starting in November, transit users in Ottawa can ride the city's first diesel-electric hybrid buses — the first of 202 ordered from the same company that made the Toronto Transit Commission's controversial hybrids.

OC Transpo, the city's public transit company, will be soliciting feedback about the new buses from passengers, drivers and mechanics before putting the other 200 on the road in the summer of 2009 and 2010, said OC Transpo head Alain Mercier Tuesday while giving the media a test ride.

The buses, which will run on routes 5, 14 and 18 initially, are made by Daimler Buses North America and have a propulsion system made by BAE Systems, like the 500 in Toronto. The city councillors who oversee the Toronto Transit Commission voted last week to try and cancel an order of 130 more hybrid buses from Daimler after many of the batteries failed after just 1½ years.

Tom Webb, marketing manager for transit buses at BAE Systems, said the Ottawa buses don't use the same lead acid batteries as the Toronto buses. Instead, they use newer lithium ion batteries, which are expected to last more than five years, are lightweight, require little maintenance and are very efficient, he said.

"It's the most advanced technology, which all of the hybrid system suppliers are adopting now."

Webb added that BAE and Daimler are working hard to solve Toronto's issues and is offering to equip their future buses with the lithium ion batteries too.

Seven other cities using them

Mercier said the upcoming tests will allow the city to evaluate the amount of fuel saved by the 40-foot buses and see whether their interior layout needs to be adjusted. The buses cost $650,000 each, about $200,000 more than a diesel bus of the same size and the same as a 60-foot diesel bus.

When asked whether the city will necessarily have to buy the 200 other buses, Mercier responded that there are seven other cities in North America using the lithium ion battery.

"This is not unheard of technology here."

Mayor Larry O'Brien said he thinks the new buses are the "wave of the future."

"I'm pretty sure the battery solution they've come up with is a good one and I think we'll do just fine on this particular order."

The new hybrid buses will be used on routes where buses stop often and have a low average speed. Once all 202 are operating, including 120 that will replace existing diesel buses, they are expected to cut the city's annual carbon dioxide emissions by 5,000 tonnes, said a city news release. Currently, the city's O-trains and 924 buses produce 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.

The purchase of the buses was approved by city council in June 2007.