DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. — Durham School Services has received the first of its two NEXBUS hybrid-electric school buses from Collins Bus Corp.

The first bus, configured for 20 seats, was delivered to Durham’s Rosemead, Calif., location. The bus is built on a Ford E-450 chassis with Azure Dynamic Corp.’s parallel drive system.

Durham is piloting hybrid-electric buses to better understand the specific characteristics of the vehicles and to determine real-world economics ahead of any broader applications.

“Our corporate responsibility is to ensure we support appropriate and sustaining technologies that not only benefit the environment, but also offer a viable, future application,” said Greg Miller, senior vice president of fleet operations for Durham’s parent company, National Express Corp.

Depending on the configuration and driving conditions, the hybrid-electric school bus can achieve an up to 40-percent increase in fuel economy while reducing maintenance costs by 30 percent. The hybrid technology can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 30 percent.

“The NEXBUS hybrid is a great example of how we can team with partners like Azure and National Express to put the best green technologies to work,” said Kent Tyler, president of Collins Bus Corp.

Azure Dynamics has an exclusive agreement with Collins to provide hybrid-electric chassis for Type A school buses.