First BYD electric bus trial in Turkey
20 March 2014
A BYD electric transit bus is entering service in the Turkish capital for a one-month trial. The trial in Ankara is the latest in a series of European trials of the electric bus; more than 25 major cities have evaluated the bus in revenue service.
Results across many different duty cycles have shown that the bus is capable of up to 24-hour, route-service on a single battery charge (usually competed in 3-5 hours off-peak). When compared to conventional diesel or natural gas fueled buses, the BYD electric bus has demonstrated a significant reduction (from 80 – 90%) in operating and maintenance costs.
Ankara City already has one of the greenest fleets in the world with ~1,300 natural-gas-powered buses. This first electric-powered bus will be in service between Kuğulu Park and Altınpark for one month. If the bus is also approved by the public after the testing period we will put out a tender and buy electric buses to be used in capital city’s transportation system.
—Ankara Mayor Mileh Gökçek
BYD will be coming to BusWorld Turkey in May to display the full line of battery-electric buses including the 12 meter, 7 meter, and 18 meter articulated and double-decker models.
CNG buses give about the same pollution as the average hybrid (PHEV) type buses with ICE-diesel range extender. Hybrids with CNG range extenders may offer an improved solution, specially for inter-city buses.
The final solution may be a mix of small, large and very large articulated city e-buses.
BYD seems to be be about 3 years ahead of competiton.
Posted by: HarveyD | 20 March 2014 at 06:52 AM
In Turkey, petroleum prices are higher than Europe while electricity prices are lower. This is a go fit.
Posted by: dursun | 20 March 2014 at 04:38 PM
This will surprise many anti-BYD posters but one of their latest city 40-passenger e-bus ran for 30 hours in NYC and for 325 Km (202 miles) in Denmark on a single charge.
Posted by: HarveyD | 24 March 2014 at 01:53 PM
Montreal City has started testing BYD e-buses on 10 different routes. Those e-buses are running for 200 to 250 Km per single charge. Testing of equivalent locally built Volvo city e-buses will take place in 2015/2016.
Posted by: HarveyD | 28 March 2014 at 08:42 AM