LATEST MOTOR 'BUS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14888, 13 January 1912, Page 2 (Supplement)

LATEST MOTOR 'BUS.

DRIVEN BY ELECTRICITY GENERATED BY PETROL ENGINE.

The process of perfecting the motor omnibus; was advanced a stage when trial was made of the Tilling-Stevens vehicle. This is an electrically driven 'bus, the power being generated by a petrol engine. Tests had already been made on hilly roads, and these had been so. successful that Messrs. Tilling have put seven on the route between Peekham and Turnham Green.

After the test a luncheon was held at the Holborn restaurant, when Mr. Richard Tilling said that 150 of the new' vehicles had been ordered. Other proprietors had been so favourably impressed by its powers that over 100 had been ordered from the provinces and abroad. Mr. W. A. Stevens described the new vehicle as one with all the advantages and none of the drawbacks of .the steam car. Mr. Frost-Smith said that the cost of running the geared petrol omnibus of today was about 10.52 d per mile, whereas, the new petrol-electric vehicle should not cost more than 7£d per mile. Among its other advantages, he pointed out that instead of being overhauled every night, as all but the most recent types of petrol omnibuses had to be, it only needed overhauling one day in ten. It was a great advantage, lie said, to have, obviated the necessity. fornight. work.