Rapid Bus Malaysia aims to drive the take-up of electric buses in the country with a target of having 30% of its bus fleet comprised of electric buses by 2030, growing to become fully electric (100%) by 2037, according to its display at the currently ongoing International Greentech & Eco Products Exhibition and Conference Malaysia (IGEM 2023).
In the run to the 30% EV bus target by 2030, Rapid Bus aims to start with an EV bus fleet of 4% for 2024, staying mostly unchanged at this level until 2026 as it foresees an initial limit of 100 units before 2026.
Rapid Bus will require two to three years for the upgrading of bus charging infrastructure at its depots, and it also expects the total cost of ownership (TCO) for EV buses to reach parity with diesel-powered buses by around 2035.
From its target of 30% EV buses by 2030, Rapid Bus aims for its proportion of electric buses to increase from 36% to 48% between 2031 and 2036, followed by a steep ramp-up in proportion of EV buses to the full 100% in 2037.
The Rapid Bus electrification programme was announced in March this year, with the initial batch of 100 EV buses to serve in phase one with procurement to be carried out in stages, for completion in 2024. Phase two will see 481 new electric buses acquired from 2025, with the entire purchase process to be completed in the third quarter of 2027.
The Sunway Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) that was launched in 2015 deployed all-electric buses to serve commuters between Bandar Sunway and Subang Jaya, serving seven dedicated BRT stations in the southeastern suburbs of Petaling Jaya in Selangor, plying over 10 km of elevated routes.
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