Rapid Bus, the operator of Rapid KL buses in the Klang Valley, has announced a trial run for electric buses for selected routes. The trial involves four units of EV buses, and will be for three months ending June 13, 2022.
The two trial routes involving the battery-powered BYD buses are Route 400 from Damai Perdana to Lebuh Pudu Hub via Bukit Bintang; and Route 650 from Taman Desa to the Pasar Seni Hub.
Rapid Bus says that the EV bus trial is in line with the company’s transformation plan via the Bus Electrification Plan, where current diesel-powered buses will be replaced by electric buses, in stages, by 2030.
The company points out that it started using electric buses in 2015 on the BRT Sunway Line, which is a controlled environment as the buses there travel on an elevated road with no other traffic. Rapid Bus says that the 15 EV buses there have clocked over 659,000 km and are powered up by overnight charging.
“This initiative is also in line with Prasarana’s environment policy pledge and the 12th Malaysia Plan (RMK-12), which aims for carbon neutrality by the year 2050,” said Rapid Bus CEO Mohammad Yazurin Sallij, who hopes that commuters and residents living along the trial routes will try out the EV buses and give the company feedback.
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It’s all good when they use tax payer’s money. Rm 1 mil++ per bus. And cost around rm 80 per charge up. Based on byd k9 310kwh figures and conversion losses.
Compared to Daewoo cng buses used by nadi Putra and hyundai cng buses. They cost less than half the price. Fuel cost ball park rm120~140. Seen them filling up before.
So double the cost of the bus just to save rm 50~60 per day. Factor in charging equipment, substation cost, electrical technicians and maintenance crew re-training, it’ll probably cost more than cng bus operating cost. NGV station compressor plant is maintained by the station, the supply comes from low~medium pressure pipeline that needs to be brought up to ~200 bar for cng filling.
Good job Minister.
Enriching lives ™
Electric is the future. Lets move forward to an electrifying bright future together.
Uhh yeah because climate change isn’t real and all that /s
Have you ever driven a motor, followed behind a bus and inhale all that smoke? I bet you’re not…