14 DAY TRIAL // BYD, a Chinese automobile manufacturer based in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province and a subsidiary of the BYD Company, is getting loads of media attention these days.
This is because one of the electric buses it makes and markets has recently managed to cover a distance of 202 miles (about 325 kilometers) on a single charge.
Besides, the company says that, when the vehicle's journey came to an end, its battery was still alive and kicking. More precisely, it had an 8% capacity.
Information shared with the public says that the BYD electric bus performed this impressive journey last week, in the city of Copenhagen in Denmark.
Specifically, the bus first covered 68.4 miles (approximately 110 kilometers) while traveling along Route 12, and while transporting several dozen passengers.
Shortly after, it traveled over an additional 133.6 (roughly 215 kilometers) along the local Ballerup highway, and did not at any time show any signs of being thirsty for power.
“The 12 meter [almost 40 feet] BYD ebus completed its normal service on Route 12 a week ago, a total distance of 110km (or 68.4 miles) carrying an average of 40 passengers,” BYD explained in a statement, as cited by Autoblog Green.
Furthermore, “Then the bus set off along the Ballerup highway – a standard motorway – and further covered a distance of 215km (or 133.6 miles) ending the day with 8% of battery charge remaining, clocking up a total of 325km (202 miles) on a single charge.”
To put things into perspective, it must be said that the bus in question has an official range of just 155 miles (some 250 kilometers). This means that the bus in Copenhagen not only met, but also surpassed expectations.
Besides, it would appear that the previous record for distances covered by such environmentally friendly vehicles is one of 192 miles (about 310 kilometers).
Interestingly enough, it was last year when a BYD electric bus made headlines as a result of its covering 192.6 miles (310 kilometers) between the Polish cities of Warsaw and Krakow on just 69% of its total charge.
Presently, two BYD electric buses are being trialed in Copenhagen, Denmark by operators City-Trafik and Arriva. The Chinese automobile manufacturer says that they are both performing very well, and have proven well capable to deal with local environmental conditions during wintertime.
Besides, the vehicles appear to be way more cost-effective than buses that run on traditional fuels, meaning that the operating costs associated with using them have until now been fairly low.