'Green' buses take to the streets in Shanghai
(Shanghai Daily)Updated: 2006-08-29 15:00
The new environmentally friendly buses were unveiled by the Shanghai government.
The buses are powered by 360 ultra-capacitors and are charged at bus stops with equipment attached to the roof of each vehicle along the No. 11 line, which has 10 stops around Laoximen in Huangpu District.
Each charge takes only 30 seconds and can power the bus for 3 to 8 kilometers.
Experts said the buses don't have any emissions since they are powered by electricity and that there is no need for unsightly wires overhead like other electric trolleys.
This represents the city's first step to upgrade buses that either cause air pollution or damage the image of Shanghai.
"The new trolley bus is a win-win solution for new transport," said Ma Xingfa, an official of the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission.
Working with a municipal fund of 15 million yuan (US$1.87 million) in the last five years, the science commission has teamed with a total of eight high-tech and transport companies to develop new buses.
They were produced by Shanghai Sunwin Bus Corporation - a joint venture between Shanghai Automotive Industry Group and Volvo Investment Corporation.
Each bus costs about 800,000 yuan, according to the officials.
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