Bus operator Movia is pleased with two Chinese electric buses that have been undergoing tests in Copenhagen since January. It has already transpired that they have a longer range than expected and can run on cheaper fuel.
The Chinese distributor BYD and Movia had expected that the El-buses could drive 250 kilometres without recharging its battery, but the buses, currently operating on lines 12 and 40 in Copenhagen, showed that they could in fact drive 325 km per charge on longer journeys with less stops.
“It makes it even more attractive for us to use the electric buses,” Jesper Kaas Petersen, the head of operations for Movia, said in a press release.
“The longer the bus can drive before needing to be recharged, the better traffic will flow.”
Charging the batteries takes between four and five hours.
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Two-year test
They also vibrate less and are cheaper to run than first thought – costing about a third compared to diesel buses.
There have been some issues however, including a whining sound that can be heard inside the bus, which Movia and BYD have managed to reduce to an acceptable decibel level.
The Chinese electric bus experiment is scheduled to last two years. All passengers are invited to contact Movia to let the company know what they think about the new buses.
