February 10 saw the start of test operation of electric vehicle (EV) buses in Kyoto. The subject of the test is a single hybrid bus that was modified to run solely on lithium-ion batteries. The bus is to operate for about one week to collect data.
The test is being conducted through cooperation between Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and the City of Kyoto. A rapid charging unit was installed beside Kyoto City Hall, and the bus operates over two circular routes that begin and end there, one 5 km long, and the other, 7 km. It is mounted with a 60 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that was developed jointly by MHI and Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc.
Besides ascertaining such factors as the requisite charging interval and possible duration of operation, the test includes a monitor survey with citizens to probe items such as convenience for passengers and the influence on pedestrians. The city intends to incorporate EV buses into the fleet of the municipal transport bureau as early as 2012. One person who rode the bus on the first day of the test remarked, “It was really quiet. I would like to ride it again.” And another said, “It reminded me of the old trolley buses.”
