Hybrid School Bus Debuts in Colorado

The Adams 12 Five Star School District began using Colorado's first-ever hybrid school bus earlier this year.

The district was able to buy the hybrid school bus with the help of an alternative fuels rebate from the state of Colorado.

The environmental benefits of hybrid bus technology include a 70 percent increase in fuel economy and a 40 percent reduction in carbon-dioxide emissions.

The hybrid bus gets about 11.9 miles per gallon, compared with 7 miles per gallon with a traditional diesel bus.

A third-grade class from Hillcrest Elementary in Northglenn, Colo., took the hybrid bus' inaugural trip when it visited the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder in January.