Electric buses run on Beijing street

A first batch of 10 electric buses started running on the street of Beijing on Sunday.

One of the first batch of 10 electric buses in red travels on a road in Beijing, China, 22 October 2017. [Photo: IC]

Painted with "China red", each 18-meter-long bus has a large capacity with a lower floor and a wider aisle.

Guo Qingliang is the technology director of the No. 1 bus team.

"The new buses are installed with PM 2.5 filters. When the PM 2.5 index exceeds its standard level, the filter will start operation automatically."

Inside view of one of the first batch of 10 electric buses in red in Beijing, China, 22 October 2017. [Photo: IC]

The electric bus is also installed with a security system to alarm drivers when the route is off track.

The bus uses a high-power charging pile, which takes only 15 minutes to conduct a full charge.

A Chinese worker recharges one of the first batch of 10 electric buses in red at a charging station in Beijing, China, 22 October 2017. [Photo: IC]

Chen Haiyang, a director with State Grid Beijing bureau, says several quick-charge stations are ready for the new buses.

"We have installed 14 quick charging stations with 450 kilowatts of power. The speed of charging is the fastest in Beijing. The bus will be charged during the departure interval. Operation is guaranteed."

The number of pure electric vehicles in the capital has now reached over 150,000.

By the end of this year, 65% of public buses will be clean-energy-powered.