Durham, NC - Duke's two new hybrid-electric buses hit the road this week, offering a more sustainable way to travel between East and West campuses.

First-year student Erin Russell was among the first Duke community members to ride one of the hybrids Monday. She was so impressed with the look and ride she posted a picture on Twitter of her trip from East to West campus.

"Brand new C-1 double bus at duke! It even smells new!" she wrote in the tweet.

Later, Russell said the bus was spacious and that she liked the custom wrap featuring images of sustainable practices at Duke like clean energy and the Duke Campus Farm.

"I like to know that Duke is making efforts to `greenify' their transportation system because while it's necessary on campus, it's also a bigger environmental concern," Russell said. "I especially liked the seats toward the middle of the bus that are elevated.  I felt like I was sitting on a throne."

The new buses use an electric charge to accelerate up to 18 miles per hour and low-sulfur diesel fuel that Duke already uses for higher speeds. At 62-feet long, the vehicles can also hold up to 130 passengers.

The two new buses run the C-1 and C-2 bus routes between East and West campuses every five to 20 minutes, depending on day and time.