Ben Pullen, the managing director of Global EVRT, led a rousing day of informative e-mobility talks for the first ever e-mobility session at Intersolar Middle East last year. It culminated in questions from the audience. This question & answer session followed presentations on the accelerating transition to electric vehicles, the power of inflection points, sustainable cities, and more.
The race into fully electric long range buses is heating up as San Diego puts in an order for 6 of New Flyer’s new 40 -oot buses.
Dijiya has bundled its battery cells into large trays of battery modules that it employs in its stationary energy storage products and is testing in electric buses. Further emphasizing how locally-focused Taiwanese businesses are, Dijiya is working exclusively with Taiwan-based IAC on a handful of fully-electric 17 passenger shuttle prototypes.
I enjoyed a ride on the New Flyer XcelsiorÆ electric bus thanks to the Sierra Club a couple of years ago. The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority was collaborating with the Sierra Club on demos of future bus investments. The benefits of 100% electric transit are varied — they significantly limit toxic fumes and dirty particulates, the reduces headaches and asthma as a result, they’re quieter and comfier thanks to the smooth electric powertrain, and they eliminate reliance on expensive gasoline and diesel fuel.
Proterra announced that the Edmonton Transit Service has locked in a contract for 25 of Proterra’s 40-foot Catalyst E2 max fully electric buses. The new buses will replace 25 aging diesel buses in what represents a celebration-worthy win for electric buses, clean air, and the people of the Edmonton, Canada.
New energy company BYD confirmed that it has secured a contract to bring the first electric buses to the historic city of Jerusalem.
Volvo Buses has announced a few new electric bus contracts, for a total of 23 electric buses. The electric bus in demand is the Volvo 7900. It will be going to the Dutch public transportation company Arriva and to Sweden for another order.
BYD is making more headway in the Nordics with 2 large bus orders in Norway for 42 more of its articulated electric buses for the capital city of Oslo.
BYD has made progress in electrifying the east coast of the United States with a delivery of 5 electric buses to Martha’s Vineyard Transit Authority.
In the race to electrify vehicles, electric buses (e-buses) and other utility platforms have been kept in the specialized news media. Despite the low profile, this market segment has the industrial and financial might to catapult EVs into mainstream use earlier than predicted.
