First Hong Kong-designed electric bus rolls out for a month of test-drives on city's roads

Hong Kong’s first locally designed electric bus will roll out onto the city’s roads next month in a test run its creators hope will boost the local electric vehicle industry.

The 12.5-tonne single deck electric bus, designed by the Hong Kong Productivity Council and Hong Kong Automotive Parts and Accessory Systems’ Research and Development Centre, took two years to complete.

Made of lightweight T6 grade aluminium alloy, it weighs 10 per cent less than existing electric buses, while its gear-free permanent magnet synchronous motor and lithium polymer battery help reduce battery usage.

Carrying a full load of passengers and running air conditioning, the bus consumes only 0.78kWh per kilometre. Charging its battery for four hours enables up to 380km of travel.

Council chairman Stanley Lau Chin-ho said the bus was tailor-made for the city’s rough and curvy roads.