The addition of eight hybrid buses to TheBus fleet is expected to save diesel fuel consumption, reduce emissions and cut down on noise, city officials announced Monday.

The 40-foot buses are equipped with BAE Electric Hybrid Drives with “start-stop” technology that includes a regenerative braking system that helps “top off” a vehicle’s batteries when it stops, city officials said.

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

Michael Forby, city transportation services director, said the new buses — which are additions to the fleet, not replacements — will be used “on dense streets where we have a lot of bus stops” to capitalize on the efficiencies they offer.