
September 6, 2002
Bob Garzee
Synergy Ev, Inc.
P.O.Box 35543
Monte Sereno, CA 95030-0543
Dear Bob:
We are nearing an end to the electronic-hybrid bus project
contract between Synergy EV, Inc. and Silicon Valley Power,
the municipal electronic utility of the city of Santa Clara.
We appreciate the service Synergy EV has provided in project
mangement technical services and operations management.
Synergy EV has been an asset in providing bus specification
and purchasing expertise, manufacturing audits, testing,
training and delivery of the completed buses. Synergy helped
the City take the buses from the concept/design phase to
its end goal of picking up passengers on successful routes.
After discussions with Serendipity Land Yachts, Ltd., please
feel free to remove Synergy's equipment and insurance for
these contracts effective September 30, 2002.
Public Benefits Coordinator
Silicon Valley Power
City of Santa Clara
September
6, 2002
Bob Garzee
Synergy Ev, Inc.
P.O.Box 35543
Monte Sereno, CA 95030-0543
Dear Bob:
Attached for your review is a copy of Silicon Valley Power's
annual report. Please note that the BEE is mentioned in
several places and is pictured, as well.
We appreciate Synergy's effort in the project and wish you
and the entire company the best of luck in the future.
Public
Benefits Coordinator
Silicon Valley Power
City of Santa Clara
Silicon
Valley Buses
BEE riders keep Silicon Valley humming
Taken from: EV's in Transit
Commuters take comfortable hybrid-electronic buses to
their jobs in Santa Clara.
Employees
of Silicon valley companies like Intel, Applied Materials,
Nvidia and Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc. are buzzing
about a convenient new way to get to work. They take the
train from the outlying towns where they live to the city
of Santa Clara, and then transfer to the "Breath Easy
Express" (BEE, for short).
The BEEs, three 30-foot, low emission hybrid-elecrtric buses
manufactured by Advanced Vehicle systems, Inc. run during
the peak commuter hours of 6 to 9:30 a.m. and 3 to 6:00
p.m., Monday through Friday. Each bus has 31 seats and room
for nine standees. The buses have been running with 500
riders a week on two routes.
The shuttle program is sponsored by Silicon Valley Power
(SVP), the city's electronic utility, as part of it's public
benefits program. Three BEE buses were put into service
at the request of high.tech employers in the area. The employers
pay for the buses through their electronic bill, so their
employees can ride for free.
"People like the buses," observes Joyce Kinnear,
who manages new technology programs at Silicon Valley Power.
"They're very comfortable, with plush upholstered seats
and coffe cup holders. The same driver has been driving
on each route since the buses started. The drivers are very
knowledgeable and know the routes very well. People are
pleased with the route, the buses and the service."
Surprisingly, the BEE's environmental benefits are not the
biggest issue for riders, according to Ms. Kinnear, although
many engineers are interested in "the cool new technology."
The Breath Easy Express came about as a way to reduce air
and noise pollution while relieving traffic congestion,
Ms. Kinnear said. "We wanted to show other cities and
transit authorities in the San Francisco Bay area that electronic
vehicles can replace standard diesel buses."
The buses, which can travel up to 120 miles a day, are charged
during off-peak night hours. The buses are primarily electronic,
but also have two Capstone MicroTurbines powered by propane,
which recharge the batteries. The MicroTurbines make the
BEE's emision s far less than those of conventional diesel
buses. The BEE can travel over 50 miles per hour, providing
a fast, quiet ride to work.
After receiving the BEE buses in November 2001, Santa Clara
took them out of service to make changes in the propane
system. "We didn't want diesel," Ms. Kinnear said.
"We had issues with the quality of the propane and
the vaporization of the fuel before it reached the turbines."
After the propane industry helped to resolve these issues,
Santa Clara put the buses in service in May 2002.