BYD Andino-12 Click to enlarge.

The general purpose of the program was to carry out operational testing to determine electric-bus feasibility in Bogota’s Integrated Public Transport System. The BYD Andino-12 electric bus had a carrying capacity of 80 passengers with a specified range of more than 250 km (155 miles).

The testing was carried out in Bogota on a route specified by Transmilenio SA. The test route covered around 700 km (435 miles) with a total testing time of 40 hours under various traffic conditions, road surfaces and gradients. The tests were carried out under two different load conditions (full load and 70% loaded).

The Andino 12’s average performance on route was 1.13 km/kWh (0.7 miles/kWh), exceeding BYD’s specifications of 1 km/kWh). In terms of passenger perceived noise, the average values obtained were considerably below the Colombian standards, 61.44 dB and 66.87 dB with the windows closed and open (the maximum standard in Columbia is 80 dBA).

The single-charge range of the Andino-12 was confirmed between 270 and 280 km (168 to 174 miles), which complies with Bogota requirements for operating within the system.

Last October, BYD’s electric bus participated in the C40 Hybrid & Electric Bus Test Program in Colombia. This event is endorsed by The Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) and InterAmerican Development Bank (IABD).

In that event, buses were tested side-by-side on a Bogotá circuit that had a length of more than 19.6 km (12.25 miles) and approximately 1 - 1.5 hours on the route, depending on traffic conditions. The BYD Electric Bus logged energy consumption figures of 1.1 km/kWh.