Japan brings us hybrid trains
We’ve had the hybrid car and now Japan is introducing hybrid trains, in the ongoing battle to ward off global warming. The first two-car diesel-electric hybrid train is being put into commercial service today. Trains do not contribute to global warming as much as cars and they are often perceived as impractical because it is awkward making the different parts work together, but the growing popularity in hybrid cars, such as the Toyota Prius, is generating interest in other hybrid modes of transport.
The new train has a diesel engine, two electric motors underneath each car and lithium ion batteries on the roof. The train runs on its batteries until it encounters a hill or the batteries begin to run out and then the diesel engine kicks in.
One of the main obstacles with hybrid trains is the costs involved. The Kiha E200 train, which increases fuel efficiency by 20 per cent and decreases carbon emissions by as much as 60 per cent, cost almost $1.7 million, double the price of a standard train. Hopefully, as the technology develops and more people use hybrid trains the price will come down.
