Taipei has opened its first all-electric bus route, with a fleet powered by electric drivetrains supplied by Finland-based Danfoss EDITRON, the electrification arm of Danfoss group. Twelve RAC Electric Vehicles-manufactured buses serve the 31.5km route across Taipei, linking four MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) stations, 11 schools and five major business districts.
The 12-tonne buses are the lightest on the market in their class, says Danfoss EDITRON. The system’s Danfoss permanent magnet motors also improve efficiency and prolong the buses’ operation range. The buses have a range of over 260km when fully loaded, and more than 300km when empty.
EDITRON’s control and monitoring software is capable of running self-diagnosis and is constantly monitoring and reporting to the control centre on motor temperature, power situation and remaining mileage. This greatly reduces the risk of sudden bus failure and improves the efficiency of the overall operation.
Each bus’s roof is equipped with a 302-square-metre roof single crystal solar panel that can generate 130kW of electricity per day. Each bus can be charged in just five hours.
RAC Electric Vehicles has already placed an order with Danfoss EDITRON for another 36 drivetrains for delivery early next year. This will help to support Taipei City Public Transportation Office’s new green energy policy, which aims to have 400 electric buses on its roads in the next four years. The long-term goal for the city is to have an all-electric bus network.
Kimmo Rauma, Danfoss EDITRON Vice-President, said: “We have been very active in Taiwan since we launched Asia’s first hybrid electric ferry in 2017 and we’ve seen how quickly electrification is happening in this region. As a company committed to fighting pollution, we are excited that Taipei has made the choice to electrify its bus fleet and, of course, that they chose Danfoss EDITRON technology to achieve that vision. The confidence shown in the EDITRON system confirms us as the high-quality choice for bus manufacturers and we look forward to many new projects in the pipeline.”
Danfoss EDITRON has a manufacturing partnership with Asia’s largest electric motor producer, TECO Electric & Machinery Company. The company manufactures Danfoss EDITRON’s SPRM motors in Asia, making it easier for customers to equip themselves with electric drivetrains with a shorter lead time.
