Masdar rolls out first all-electric bus service in the Middle East
Masdar, the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, has officially launched the first fully electric passenger bus in the region in partnership with the Department of Transport in Abu Dhabi (DoT), Abu Dhabi-based bus manufacturer Hafilat Industry LLC, and leading technology company Siemens.
The vehicle will serve a six-stop route between Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station and Masdar City, Abu Dhabi’s flagship sustainable urban community.
The Eco-Bus will be integrated into the DoT’s existing fleet, while the service will be free until the end of March 2019.
The Eco-Bus has been designed to withstand the heat and humidity of the UAE climate, key performance challenges for electric vehicles. Jointly developed by Masdar, Hafilat Industry LLC of Abu Dhabi and Siemens Middle East, it seats 30 passengers and has a range of 150 kilometres per battery charge. Solar panels are also used to power the Eco-Bus’s auxiliary systems.
Abu Dhabi’s DoT was heavily involved in the pilot phase of the Eco-Bus, which carried out extensive tests of the vehicle’s technical performance as well as the user experience. Siemens provided the vehicle’s propulsion technology, while Hafilat designed and built the Eco-Bus.
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Yousef Baselaib, Executive Director for Sustainable Real Estate at Masdar said: “The launch of the Eco-Bus is a milestone for the UAE in a number of ways. Masdar City has been an incubator of sustainable mobility technologies, including the iconic Personal Rapid Transport system and the NAVYA AUTONOM shuttle vehicle. Now we are exporting solutions beyond the city limits with our partners for the benefit of the wider community.”
“Helping the UAE deliver on its sustainability targets, including more environmentally friendly mobility solutions, is a key part of our mandate at Masdar and high on the agenda at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2019, which will showcase opportunities for further convergence of knowledge and technologies in the pursuit of cleaner and more energy-efficient transport.”
