Prasarana, which operates public transport under the Rapid brand, has ordered 310 new diesel-powered buses to bolster its fleet, but this will be the final batch of ICE-powered buses. After this, it’ll all be electric buses.
“This year we’ll be adding 310 new buses, diesel buses throughout the year, expected to arrive in Q2. This will be the final batch of diesel buses that will be acquired by Prasarana,” transport minister Anthony Loke said in a press conference today, captured by Astro Awani.
“The direction of the government is after this, all buses used will be EVs. As we build our capacity to use the EV buses, this will be the last of the diesel buses. After this we will acquire 250 EV buses, which are currently in the tender process,” the Seremban MP added.
Back in 2023, Loke said that the Rapid Bus fleet electrification programme would be implemented in stages through two phases starting from that year. The first phase would have seen Prasarana purchase 100 electric buses for Klang Valley and Penang. The procurement process was expected to be completed by Q4 2024. Phase two would have see the acquisition of 481 EV buses from 2025.
Going fully electric has its challenges. Loke has gone on record to say that prices of EV buses are double that of ICE buses (in 2023) and that there are not enough charging points for the buses.
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Talk so much. Aerotrain bila nak siap?
essentially a reiteration of what was said last year in “Anthony Loke orders Prasarana to only buy electric buses for public transport from 2025” article on Paultan
I don’t believe EV Bus is a good thing even in near future, we can see some EV bus in China left abandoned due to battery problem or charging problem. I believe a diesel hybrid is better and it will run much longer time.