 
Hybrids in East Tennessee
In East Tennessee, several different types of hybrid AFVs are used.
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| Hybrid Users in East TN |
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Fleets:
Now
ATTI
Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area
CARTA
City of Knoxville
City of Maryville
City of Sevierville
Great Smoky Mountains Nat'l Park
KAT
Knox County
Knoxville Utilities Board
Public Building Authority (Knoxville)
TVA
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First, there are hybrids that don't plug in. Examples include light-duty vehicles, like the Toyota
Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid, and heavier vehicles (examples include trolleys and buses). On
the lighter side, several organizations are purchasing Prius' and Honda Civics for their fleets, but the
largest quantity of these that are on the road are general consumers' hybrids. These hybrid vehicles are
filled with gasoline and are not plugged in, but increase their operating efficiency by recovering
braking energy as electricity and using it to assist powering the vehicle. The increase in fuel
efficiency can be as much as a 100% increase (e.g., from 25 to 50 miles per gallon), which not only
reduces foreign oil dependence but significantly decreases the vehicle's emissions.
The local examples on the medium-duty side that are on the street are CARTA's 6 hybrid buses.
These hybrids have been on the road for about 5 years, and are going strong!
See images of KAT's new hybrid trolleys!
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More of the light-duty type are coming, too. Ford expects to release it's hybrid Escape SUV this
Fall, and Dodge is getting closer to releasing its hybrid Durango. A Ford F-150 hybrid is
in the works, as is a Honda Accord hybrid, which may also come out this Fall!
Then, there is another type of hybrid on the road: a multi-fuel hybrid. Like the new trolley's
KAT is using, these vehicles are plugged in overnight to charge their batteries but run mostly on
propane during their daily operating cycle. The also recharge their batteries by recapturing energy lost
during braking while driving around town. The regional examples of these type hybrids, in addition to
KAT's, include Sevierville and Gatlinburg. Sevierville is looking to start its mass transit system with
all multi-fuel hybrids, and a demonstration project is taking shape in Gatlinburg that would put two
such hybrid trolleys in use in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for a six-month period.
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