Businesses are moving their fleets to electric vehicle, low-emission technology.
Did you know that the Chinese city of Shenzhen, which has a population of 12 million people, now has a completely electric bus service?
Their entire fleet of 16,000 of zero-tailpipe emission buses has reduced their annual carbon footprint by an estimated 440,000 tonnes and halved the Shenzhen Bus Group’s (SBG) ‘fuel’ bill.
In fact, Shenzhen’s public transport is the world’s first fully electric bus fleet; which is an incredible achievement, but one that should be no surprise given the manufacturing mega-city has previously been known for a poor air quality full of toxic smoke from its many factories.
To facilitate this transport revolution, a portion of the $490 million investment into the electric bus fleet was allocated to charging infrastructure – over 500 EV bus charging stations with over 8000 ports.
The SBG have also collaborated with utilities to ensure reliable and constant power supply to their charging stations, meaning they can charge HALF their fleet at any given time.
EV success stories such as this one really puts paid to any notion of electric fleets being unsuitable or lacking the range to effectively move people around cities.
However, while the flat lay of the land in Shenzhen is perfect for electric driving, other cities with hillier terrain, such as Hong Kong, are still trialling such fleets.
Elsewhere, London is deploying tailpipe-free single-decker buses this year and New York will have a completely electric bus fleet by 2040.
At last count, in mid-2019, there were over 425,000 electric buses on the road worldwide, as well as a growing number of hybrids.
As for Shenzhen, there are plans are well underway to create a completely electric taxi fleet by the end of 2020, plant millions of roadside trees and continue their aggressive attack on harmful transport emissions.
Overall, they’re aiming to cut their transport emissions even further than the 48% reduction they’ve achieved over the past two decades.
It’s an inspirational case study and one which we’ll be watching as it develops.
EVUp is a growing network of EV charging across Australia and New Zealand, providing intelligent, integrated and connected EV charging solutions. We understand that providing strategic, elegant and efficient people-friendly charging options where we live, work and play raises awareness of EVs and accelerates the transition to low-emission transport for cleaner cities and a brighter future.
EVUp also believes in building local manufacturing, skills & jobs, so manufature & supply our own Australian-made AC charging units, as well as DC units made in Queensland…the only Australian EV charging network to do so.
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