Federal Territories minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa has announced that public bus services in Putrajaya will be free of charge from November 1. The Ketereh MP said this on his Facebook page, adding that the FOC bus rides are only for Malaysian citizens.

Annuar’s post was accompanied by images of Putrajaya’s NEDO EV bus. Revealed in December 2017, it is Malaysia’s first rapid charge electric bus. NEDO stands for Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation, and the bus is manufactured by DRB-Hicom Defence Technologies (DEFTECH) as part of a technology transfer arrangement between Malaysia and Japan.

Operated by Putrajaya’s Nadiputra, the full-sized electric bus is 12 metres long and is powered by SCiB batteries from Toshiba. The battery, which can last up to 10 years with proper maintenance, allows for rapid charging – only 10 minutes for a full charge can take the bus 30 km.

Charging is done through an overhead pantograph. Three Super Quick Charge (SQC) terminals are located in Putrajaya Sentral, with one more at the bus depot in Precinct 14.