The 12-meter-long low-floor buses, provided by BYD, are equipped with a 400 kWh battery pack that allows a range of up to 300 km and can be recharged in under two hours
Each bus accommodates 71 passengers and includes designated spaces for wheelchairs and strollers, reflecting a strong focus on accessibility. Additional features such as USB charging ports and free Wi-Fi
Our city has had a fleet of electric BYD buses for the past year and a half and they’re great! Whenever I have to ride one of the old diesel buses still operating on the less-traveled lines, it feels like a downgrade.
But their range isn’t all that great. I asked a driver, and he said that yes, in theory, they can drive 300 to 400 km on a charge. But the reality is, because of heating in the winter (and we have VERY cold winters here) and A/C during our short summers, the buses do 150 to 200 km at the most, and the city basically had to purchase an extra bus for every one on the road, the other being charged at the depot.
