Tallinna Linnatranspordi AS is testing an electric bus
Tallinna Linnatranspordi AS started testing the Yutong U12 electric bus on city lines.
According to Deniss Boroditš, Chairman of the Management Board of TLT AS, there are two main goals in testing an electric bus. He explained that the factory-approved parameters such as single-load mileage, loading speed, and passenger comfort would be confirmed in our circumstances and that the suitability of electric buses to serve existing routes would be tested. “As Estonia’s largest public transport company, we keep up with the times, and environmentally friendly technologies are our preference,” Boroditš added.
The latest bus model U12 of the world’s largest electric bus manufacturer, which is presented for the first time at the public transport fair Busworld in Brussels, is being tested in Tallinn. The Chinese manufacturer’s electric bus is used for regular services in Paris, Sofia, Great Britain, as well as at our nearest neighbors in Espoo.
According to Simonas Ramanauskas, CEO of Busnex, the official representative of Yutong supplying U12, as a mediator of environmentally friendly transport solutions to Central and Northern Europe, they want to prove that Yutong buses would be a good choice for Tallinna Linnatranspordi AS. “U12 is an innovative model that is ideally suited to the Estonian climate,” Ramanauskas added.
Denis Boroditš said that almost 10% of all buses introduced in Europe are electric, a relatively large part of which are manufactured in China. “Despite the efforts of European manufacturers, electric bus technology is developing faster in Asia, where larger production volumes are concentrated, so Chinese buses need to be studied carefully,” Boroditš explained the testing of the Yutong bus noting that TLT AS has also tested the electric buses of European manufacturers Mercedes-Benz and Solaris.
The Yutong U12 electric bus is a 12-meter-long city vehicle with a comfortable passenger compartment, where the power supply is provided by a 422kWh battery, which ensures a maximum mileage of up to 400 kilometers on a single charge. Depending on the technical specifications of the bus, the Yutong U12 can accommodate up to 85 passengers and two wheelchairs or prams.
Tallinna Linnatranspordi AS serves a total of more than 140 million passengers a year on 81 public transport lines in the capital. By 2035, it is desired to leave only electric vehicles on the lines.
