Chinese electric bus goes on trial run in Athens
The first trial run of an electric bus, manufactured by China’s BYD, was carried out in Athens Tuesday.
The pilot run, from Agios Ioannis metro station to Ano Kypseli, making 26 intermediary stops, was conducted as part of a plan by Attica’s bus and trolley bus operator (OSY) to induct electric buses into its existing fleet.
No passengers were on board during the trial run but extra weight was added to the demo bus to simulate being full capacity.
The 12-meter BYD vehicle is powered by a 348-kilowatt battery and can carry 76 passengers, 24 of them seated (including one person in a wheelchair). It offers wi-fi connectivity for passengers and USB charging stations for passenger cellphones.
Authorities will test another two bus models in the coming days, a European-made vehicle and another one manufactured in China.
