MELBOURNE, Australia … Diversified manufacturer Eaton Corporation has announced the Australia launch of its innovative hybrid electric drive system, which will power a Crown Coaches, Pty. Ltd., wheelchair-accessible school bus. The coach was built by Bus and Coach International (BCI) and will commence service in early February.

The bus was introduced at a media event in early February in Melbourne with representatives from Eaton and Crown Coaches, as well as Australia’s Minister for Education, Bronwyn Pike, MP. Robert Clarke, manager of Eaton’s truck business in Australia, said, “We are very excited to have our latest technology hybrid power system introduced into the Australian market. We’re happy to be able to offer a dependable, economically viable solution that offers significant fuel savings and reduced carbon emissions. We have experienced significant local interest in this technology during the past year and expect adoption of the hybrid system to increase.”

Vic Haoust, director of Crown Coaches, said, “We have passionately tackled environmental issues such as greenhouse gas emissions, water recycling, preventive maintenance and industrial waste management. The BCI hybrid bus is another step toward promoting cleaner air and a healthier environment for everyone.”

Commercial vehicle operators now have the ability to realize fuel economy improvements ranging beyond 30 percent and also achieve up to a 40 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, by using Eaton’s hybrid power system*. Eaton has pioneered the development of hybrid power systems for commercial vehicles with its current hybrid offering, providing not just improved fuel economy but also increased functionality, environmental benefits, quieter operation and better performance. In a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), the diesel engine is coupled with electric motor/generator and batteries (or other electrical storage devices) to create a hybrid system.

Eaton’s hybrid-electric power systems consist of an automated clutch, electric motor/generator, motor controller/inverter, energy storage unit, automated manual transmission and an integrated supervisory hybrid control module. Eaton’s hybrid system takes the energy that is created while a vehicle brakes, and regenerates it for later use, thus improving fuel economy and reducing carbon emissions. The hybrid-electric power system is most effective in vehicles that start and stop regularly such as city buses, refuse collection trucks and suburban delivery vehicles. The automated manual transmission provides easy-to-drive, two pedal operation for the driver.

With 2008 sales of $2.3 billion, Eaton’s Truck Group is a global leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of powertrain systems and components for commercial vehicles. Around the world, Eaton offers manual and automated transmissions, clutches, hybrid power and exhaust aftertreatment systems for trucks, buses and agricultural equipment. For more information visit www.eaton.com/truck.

Eaton Corporation is a diversified power management company with 2008 sales of $15.4 billion. Eaton is a global technology leader in electrical components and systems for power quality, distribution and control; hydraulics components, systems and services for industrial and mobile equipment; aerospace fuel, hydraulics and pneumatic systems for commercial and military use; and truck and automotive drivetrain and powertrain systems for performance, fuel economy and safety. Eaton has approximately 75,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit www.eaton.com.

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* Dependent on duty cycle, driver behavior and operation conditions.