news

Masdar unveils Abu Dhabi-built, all-electric Eco Bus for hot climates

Posted: 15 January 2018 | | 1 comment

Jointly developed by Masdar and Abu Dhabi-based Hafilat Industry a template for future sustainable public transport solutions has been revealed…

Locally manufactured all electric Eco-Bus has been unveiled by Masdar

Masdar has unveiled an all-electric Eco Bus at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2018, offering visitors a chance to experience first-hand a new public mobility solution.

With technology for the engine provided by Siemens, the bus has a range of 150km per charge with a battery of minimised size and weight.

The Eco Bus is to soon undergo trials to test and analyse the performance of the battery and electrical systems at Masdar City. The new zero-emissions bus is designed specifically for hot climates and therefore it is hoped it will work efficiently in the UAE’s acrid conditions.

“Urban sustainability will increasingly be defined by innovation in mobility and Masdar City will be at the centre of this shift towards more sustainable transport solutions,” said Yousef Baselaib, Executive Director of Sustainable Real Estate at Masdar. “The Eco-Bus is an impressive example of home-grown clean-tech innovation and a model collaboration between UAE and international experts. Rolling out the Eco-Bus for use at Masdar City will hopefully inspire other UAE clean-tech innovators while enhancing the performance of electric buses in hot climates.”

The Eco-Bus reflects the global trend towards sustainable mobility and electric buses are entering ever wider use. A recent estimation, from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), shows the number of electric buses worldwide reached 345,000; doubling between 2015 and 2016. Many cities that are focused on tackling climate change have pledged to purchase on emission-free buses after 2025.

Iyad Al Ansari, Chief Executive Officer of Hafilat Industry, said: “We’re proud to be at the forefront of the UAE’s nascent sustainable mobility sector, working with both UAE and international partners. The Eco-Bus design is highly scalable and we look forward to demonstrating the commercial viability of our prototype.”

The Eco-Bus has a lightweight aluminium body and uses more temperature-resistant, water-cool batteries located at its rear to enhance space efficiency. Features incorporated into the bus include advanced air-conditioning and electrochromic windows to enhance shading. The Eco-bus is slightly shorter than a standard double-decker bus with a length of 10.5m and more than a metre lower with a height of 3.2m. Seating 27 passengers there is also a safe-standing room for additional riders with low-entry floor for easy access.

“This highly efficient traction motor technology is in operation around the world including Europe, North America and China, and we’re proud to be working with partners here in the UAE to develop the Eco-Bus for sustainable transport in the Middle East,” said Uwe Troeger, Senior Executive Vice President, Digital Factory and Process Industries and Drives, Siemens Middle East.

One response to “Masdar unveils Abu Dhabi-built, all-electric Eco Bus for hot climates”

  1. Seth says:

    In your article you say “advanced air-conditioning and electrochromic windows to enhance shading.”.
    Can you please elaborate on the term ” electrochromic ” , there are so many very different technologies out there and misuses of the term that it is becoming quite fuzzy ?
    Electrochromic is a transfer of electrons across films and is relatively slow while thermochromic is heat activated and so not controllable and SPD (suspended particle device) is the instant orientation of microscopic bubbled particles in a film and LCD (liquid crystal display) is only on or off and only diffuses light to a frosted appearance.
    examples; electrochromic is used on car mirrors and Boeing 747’s windows, SPD is used by mercedes in sunroofs, and LCD is used in bathroom showers and conference room windows while thermochromic is slow and used in greenhouse roofs etc and uses no current.
    Patiently awaiting your reply,
    Thank you

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.