A trial by Public Transport Enterprise No. 4, a 300-strong bus fleet in Kazan, that compared buses equipped with an automated manual transmission (AMT) and one equipped with an Allison transmission featuring FuelSense Max, has resulted in the Allison-equipped bus returning a fuel economy improvement of 11 percent.
The bus used in the real life test on a city route was a Cummins diesel engine-powered NefAZ З5299-30-32. It was converted to a fully automatic Allison T310R transmission, with FuelSense Max package, with 223,045 km on the clock. FuelSense is a set of unique packages of software and electronic controls designed to improve fuel economy.
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Based on the results of their analysis of the potential air quality and health impacts of travel demand in China under business-as-usual and alternative transport scenarios, a team of researchers in China is urging policymakers to encourage the replacement of private cars for short trips with bicycles or public buses and the replacement of commercial vehicles with rail transport. In their paper, published in the journal Energy Policy, Ling-Yun HE and Lu-Yi QIU, observe that regulatory policies imposed on vehicle usage as well as on car ownership can not solve the growing emissions problem. 
Bus operators and local authorities across England have been awarded a share of the funding provided by the UK’s Department for Transport (DfT), to buy low emission buses and install infrastructure. Of the 13 successful bidders, three will use the funds to acquire biomethane (renewable natural gas) buses and infrastructure. 
The recently introduced new length variant of the VDL Citea LLE, the Citea LLE-99, is also available in a fully electric version. VDL Bus & Coach combines the Light Low Entry concept with an efficient, quiet electric powertrain. The introduction of the 9.9 metre variant means that areas with lower passenger volume can now also benefit from zero emission public transport. 
Marketed as the Ensign Enterprise, the PSVAR-compliant, air-conditioned buses are 12.5m long and a valuable addition to the UK marketplace. They are built by Australian manufacturer BCI, connected with the former Australian Denning bus make, at its Chinese assembly plant and shipped complete. All of BCI’s double-deckers are produced at its Xiamen assembly plant and any concerns around build quality are misplaced, says the manufacturer.