South Korea: First Commercially Used Electric Buses in the World

In the current electric vehicle boom public transportation has not been left behind. Governments are seeking clean solutions for busing systems and companies are scrambling to create viable all-electric options.

Now, just a year and a half after signing an agreement to develop electric buses, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has implemented full-size plug-in electric buses on select routes in the city.

The buses, which were developed in collaboration by transportation industry leaders Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hankuk Fiber, have been constructed using carbon composite instead of iron which significantly reduces the vehicle's weight helping achieve a single charge drive range of 83km.

Five electric buses now operate on 11.05 meter Mt. Namasan circular routes with plans to replace all 14 buses that run on that route with the new all-electric buses.  With this announcement the municipal government is moving towards its 2020 electric vehicle target of 120,000, "which will account to 50 percent of all public transport vehicles, 10 percent of sedans and 1 percent of trucks and vans."

"Electric bus services will not only improve air conditions in the city but also lead the technology of large-sized electric vehicles in the global electric car market," the City said.

Image Credit: PR Newswire

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