BYD’s pioneering and long range pure electric ebus is under trial in another German city. Historic Trier is running a 15-day trial of the ebus on its bus line 12 which connects the University of Applied Science and the main train station of Trier.
Most of the passengers are students. The distance between the University and the main train station is about 8 kilometers and the bus averages about 150 km per day.
The BYD bus only runs on weekdays and is being be charged overnight on low cost, off peak electricity. As well as the trial services, Stadtwerke Trier (the public works department of Trier) is performing tests on the bus.
Line 12 is a short route but is unusual because it has a relatively steep gradient of 16%. This is well within the BYD ebus design specification and of course the bus recovers electrical charge during downhill braking. However the route goes through residential areas and there are big benefits for residents of the ebus – it emits zero pollution and is very quiet in operation when compared to diesel buses.
Speaking to media representatives and staff from the municipality at a special ceremony to inaugurate the trial last week the Mayor, Mr. Wolfram Leibe, said: “This test project shows that Trier is an innovative city. There are different opinions about electro mobility and we want to find out the pros and cons. In the foreseeable future, as long as there is good funding, it will be invested in renewable and ecological public transport”.
