Since September 2018, electric buses have carried more than 16 mio passengers, Moscow Mayor official website reports.
Advantages of electric buses have long been appreciated in many countries of the world. They run in Scandinavia, the United Kingdom, some countries of continental Europe, China and Belarus. The service life of electric buses is 15 years under the terms of the service contract.
There are more than 220 e-buses in Moscow running along 14 routes. About 135K people use them daily. Some e-buses hit the route at 04:00 a.m., with the latest bus carrying passengers after midnight.
An e-bus can carry 85 passengers and has 30 seats. With their low floor, the ramp and boarding/alighting space, e-buses are convenient for everyone, including passengers with disabilities. Here are climate control systems, satellite navigation, USB charging ports, information media screens and free Wi-Fi. They are charged with a pantograph at ultrafast charging points at the route terminal. It takes 6 to 15 minutes to recharge the battery. Weather conditions do not affect this process.
E-buses are serviced daily. After the working day, the driver takes the bus to the service centre to have a full cycle of work to prepare it for a new shift.
Citizens prefer this type of transport due to its environmental friendliness, as they do not generate harmful emissions, and comfort. E-bus noise and vibration levels are 30% lower than that of a regular bus.Their advantage over trolleybuses is their mobility and the ability to run any street, regardless of the overhead catenary. In addition, the total cost of electric bus maintenance is 10% lower than that of a trolleybus.
KamAZ and GAZ group supply e-buses to Moscow. They maintain and repair electric buses, and, if necessary, replace parts and components. Soon, KamAZ is to launch the production of electric buses and electric components in Moscow. It is to produce at least 500 e-buses per year.