City officials today announced the addition of eight new hybrid buses to TheBus fleet that are expected to save in diesel fuel consumption, reduce emissions and cut down on exterior ambient noise. 

The buses are equipped with BAE Electric Hybrid Drive with “Start-Stop” technology that includes regenerative braking systems that allow the vehicles, when they stop, to help “top-off” their batteries, city officials said. 

The buses were purchased from Gillig Corp. for $700,000 each. About 83 percent of the cost is being paid through a $5 million Federal Transit Administration Transit Investment Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction, or TIGGER, grant.