GERMANY
Five new generation 12-metre BYD eBuses have been delivered to Deutsche Bahn. The official handover to DB took place in Ettlingen in the district of Karlsruhe after a 500km road journey from Oosterhoud in the Netherlands, stopping for a break in Bonn for the drivers to rest and top-up the batteries.
The delivery further enhances DB’s evolving electric bus fleet which will operate on both urban and national routes. The buses are powered by BYD iron-phosphate batteries. Under Standardised on Road Test (SORT) conditions, BYD said its new generation 422kWh battery delivered a driving range in excess of 400km on a single charge.
Michael Lechelt, Head of Operative Fleet Management, DB Regio Bus, commented: “These are the first BYD vehicles in our fleet, and hopefully there will be more. Recently, we have seen an increase in demand from the operators for vehicles with alternative drive and especially for buses with electric drive. Therefore, we assume that we will see more vehicles in our fleet during the next weeks and months.
“The vehicles have an impressive long range. Even with extreme temperatures during the winter and fully loaded, the vehicles will manage their routes. Drivers who have tested the buses have been very satisfied with regards to the riding experience, driving dynamics and driving characteristics.”
BYD Europe Managing Director, Isbrand Ho, added: “We are proud to be a partner of electric buses to DB and despite the pandemic, we have once again delivered on time. This is yet another example of how public transport operators throughout Europe are making the transition to electric mobility solutions from BYD.”
