Following a successful three-month trial of its first electric bus, Alexandria will receive 14 new buses from the Chinese BYD company by mid-September, according to CNN Arabic.
The coastal Egyptian city will become the first in the Middle-East to operate electric buses, as a part of a government initiative to manage air pollution.
Each US$220,000 bus will be funded by the National Investment Bank, take between 80 and 90 passengers (sitting and standing), and feature air conditioning, GPS trackers, Wifi, and special chairs for passengers with disabilities.
The buses will operate for 250 kilometers after being charged for four hours every day.
Alexandria Transportation Authority President Khalid Alywa reportedly plans to change the city’s entire bus fleet to electric, and – if the 14 buses prove successful – more will be imported to different governorates across Egypt.
President of the General Transportation Authority Khaled Eliwa told the press that contracts for the first 15 buses were signed in January.
Back in May, the authority announced that the first batch would arrive in June, adding that they would operate on the Corniche route in Alexandria. However, this unveiling was delayed.
Eliwa praised the fact that the buses would emit no pollution, either noise or gas. Moreover, operating costs of the buses would be almost equal to those with gas.
These new buses will operate on a maximum speed of 80 km/hr, with a 300 kilowatt engine, equivalent to 430 horsepower. As for the batteries, they take three to four hours to charge for every 250 km without air-conditioning, and three to four charging hours for every 210 km in case of air-conditioning, Eliwa specified.
Alexandria Governor Mohamed Sultan told press that the city already has 750 buses of different sizes covering all its regions, and stated the governorate’s intention to increase and improve public transportation.
