Exotic cars

Sunday, January 9, 2011

S Korea unveils fully electric bus



The South Korean capital, Seoul, is claiming a world first, with a fully-electric commercial bus route.


The full-sized eco-friendly buses are currently only operating on a mountain circular route - but more are due to be introduced.


It looks like an ordinary commuter bus but city officials in Seoul, South Korea are proclaiming it as part of a system that can found be nowhere else in the world - a commercial electric bus service.


Spokesperson Cho Yoonjin says it's a great achievement.


The city has introduced five electric buses operating on three routes around Namsan Mountain in central Seoul. The buses may look no different to their diesel driven counterparts, but they're engines are powered by clean, high-capacity lithium-ion batteries. Their bodies are made of a strong but lightweight carbon-fibre composite, and the vehicles can travel about 80 kilometres - or fifty miles - on a single charge, a process which takes about 30 minutes. They can also collect and reuse the energy generated by their brakes when running downhill.


Seoul transportation officials say they plan to replace half the city's diesel-driven buses with electric versions by 2020 a gradual move away from fossil fuels with a strategy they say is sure to catch on around the world.


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