92-427: The Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus ( 関電トンネル電気バス , Kanden Tonneru Denki Basu ) is a Japanese electric bus line between Ōgizawa Station , Ōmachi and Kurobe Dam Station , Tateyama . The line does not have any official name. The 6.1-km line runs in a tunnel for 5.4 km, the approximately 700-metre above-ground section consisting of around 300 metres of open roadway at and near Ōgizawa station and 400 metres covered by
184-647: A rigid bus (a bus trailer ) or hauled as a trailer by a truck (a trailer bus ). Smaller midibuses have a lower capacity and open-top buses are typically used for leisure purposes. In many new fleets, particularly in local transit systems, a shift to low-floor buses is occurring, primarily for easier accessibility. Coaches are designed for longer-distance travel and are typically fitted with individual high-backed reclining seats, seat belts, toilets, and audio-visual entertainment systems, and can operate at higher speeds with more capacity for luggage. Coaches may be single- or double-deckers, articulated, and often include
276-656: A snow shelter on the approach to the tunnel. Opened in 1964 as a trolleybus line, it was one of the last two trolleybus lines that existed in Japan. The line is a part of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route , together with another trolleybus line, the Tateyama Tunnel Trolleybus . The line closed in November 2018 for renewal, and all of the trolleybuses have been replaced by the new battery-electric buses. All of
368-418: A summer camp . Schools often hire charter bus services on regular basis for transportation of children to and from their homes. Chartered buses are also used by education institutes for transport to conventions , exhibitions, and field trips . Entertainment or event companies may also hire temporary shuttles buses for transport at events such as festivals or conferences . Party buses are used by companies in
460-471: A French corn-mill owner named Stanislas Baudry [ fr ] in Richebourg, a suburb of Nantes . A by-product of his mill was hot water, and thus next to it he established a spa business. In order to encourage customers he started a horse-drawn transport service from the city centre of Nantes to his establishment. The first vehicles stopped in front of the shop of a hatter named Omnés, which displayed
552-693: A chassis produced by another manufacturer. Transit buses used to be mainly high-floor vehicles. However, they are now increasingly of low-floor design and optionally also 'kneel' air suspension and have ramps to provide access for wheelchair users and people with baby carriages , sometimes as electrically or hydraulically extended under-floor constructs for level access. Prior to more general use of such technology, these wheelchair users could only use specialist para-transit mobility buses. Accessible vehicles also have wider entrances and interior gangways and space for wheelchairs. Interior fittings and destination displays may also be designed to be usable by
644-400: A city, it is important to minimize the unloaded and rolling weight of the bus. This can be accomplished by using aluminium as the main construction material. Composite paneling and other lightweight materials can also be used. According to Finnish bus manufacturer Linkker, its fully aluminium bus construction is about 3000 kg lighter than comparably sized modern steel buses, which have
736-408: A common component of the wider package holiday industry, providing private airport transfers (in addition to general airport buses ) and organised tours and day trips for holidaymakers on the package. Tour buses can also be hired as chartered buses by groups for sightseeing at popular holiday destinations. These private tour buses may offer specific stops, such as all the historical sights, or allow
828-517: A converted bus as a command post while those in cold climates might retain a bus as a heated shelter at fire scenes. Many are drawn from retired school or service buses. Buses are often used for advertising, political campaigning , public information campaigns , public relations , or promotional purposes. These may take the form of temporary charter hire of service buses, or the temporary or permanent conversion and operation of buses, usually of second-hand buses. Extreme examples include converting
920-692: A curb weight of 9500 kg. Reducing weight allows for a greater payload and reduces wear to components such as brakes, tires, and joints, achieving cost savings for the operator. Buses may be charged at plug in stations , or on special wireless charging pads but plug in stations are more common due to the fact that are faster and more efficient. Sweden is studying four different dynamic charging technologies that allow buses and other vehicles to charge while driving on roads and highways. The four tested technologies are overhead wires , in-road rail, on-road rail, and in-road inductive coils. The first solar powered microgrid for charging electric buses in
1012-485: A fare. Other types, such as elementary or secondary school buses or shuttle buses within a post-secondary education campus, are free. In many jurisdictions, bus drivers require a special large vehicle licence above and beyond a regular driving license . Buses may be used for scheduled bus transport , scheduled coach transport , school transport , private hire, or tourism ; promotional buses may be used for political campaigns and others are privately operated for
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#17330862469191104-528: A large sign inscribed "Omnes Omnibus", a pun on his Latin-sounding surname, omnes being the male and female nominative, vocative and accusative form of the Latin adjective omnis/-e ("all"), combined with omnibus , the dative plural form meaning "for all", thus giving his shop the name "Omnés for all", or "everything for everyone". His transport scheme was a huge success, although not as he had intended as most of his passengers did not visit his spa. He turned
1196-498: A novel weight-saving integral design, it also introduced for the first time on a bus independent front suspension , power steering , a fully automatic gearbox , and power-hydraulic braking . Formats include single-decker bus , double-decker bus (both usually with a rigid chassis ) and articulated bus (or 'bendy-bus') the prevalence of which varies from country to country. High-capacity bi-articulated buses are also manufactured, and passenger-carrying trailers—either towed behind
1288-456: A public transport operator that might maintain a separate fleet or use surplus buses, coaches, and dual-purpose coach-seated buses. Many private taxicab companies also operate larger minibus vehicles to cater for group fares. Companies, private groups, and social clubs may hire buses or coaches as a cost-effective method of transporting a group to an event or site, such as a group meeting, racing event, or organised recreational activity such as
1380-399: A separate luggage compartment under the passenger floor. Guided buses are fitted with technology to allow them to run in designated guideways, allowing the controlled alignment at bus stops and less space taken up by guided lanes than conventional roads or bus lanes . Bus manufacturing may be by a single company (an integral manufacturer), or by one manufacturer's building a bus body over
1472-523: A short time in 1898 in the rural area around Llandudno , Wales. Germany's Daimler Motors Corporation also produced one of the earliest motor-bus models in 1898, selling a double-decker bus to the Motor Traction Company which was first used on the streets of London on 23 April 1898. The vehicle had a maximum speed of 18 km/h (11.2 mph) and accommodated up to 20 passengers, in an enclosed area below and on an open-air platform above. With
1564-584: A similar manner to limousine hire, for luxury private transport to social events or as a touring experience. Sleeper buses are used by bands or other organisations that tour between entertainment venues and require mobile rest and recreation facilities. Some couples hire preserved buses for their wedding transport, instead of the traditional car. Buses are often hired for parades or processions . Victory parades are often held for triumphant sports teams, who often tour their home town or city in an open-top bus . Sports teams may also contract out their transport to
1656-575: A solution. China is experimenting with a new form of electric bus, known as Capabus , which runs without continuous overhead lines by using power stored in large on-board electric double-layer capacitors, which are quickly recharged whenever the vehicle stops at any bus stop (under so-called electric umbrellas ), and fully charged in the terminus . A few prototypes were being tested in Shanghai in early 2005. In 2006, two commercial bus routes began to use electric double-layer capacitor buses; one of them
1748-639: A specially manufactured trailer bus . After the Second World War, manufacturers in Europe and the Far East, such as Mercedes-Benz buses and Mitsubishi Fuso expanded into other continents influencing the use of buses previously served by local types. Use of buses around the world has also been influenced by colonial associations or political alliances between countries. Several of the Commonwealth nations followed
1840-700: A stopped school bus in the process of loading or offloading children passengers. These school buses may have school bus yellow livery and crossing guards . Other countries may mandate the use of seat belts . As a minimum, many countries require a bus carrying students to display a sign , and may also adopt yellow liveries. Student transport often uses older buses cascaded from service use, retrofitted with more seats or seatbelts. Student transport may be operated by local authorities or private contractors. Schools may also own and operate their own buses for other transport needs, such as class field trips or transport to associated sports, music, or other school events. Due to
1932-488: A suspender thrown at intervals from one side of the street to the other, and two wires hanging from these suspenders; allowing contact rollers to run on these two wires, the current could be conveyed to the tram-car, and back again to the dynamo machine at the station, without the necessity of running upon rails at all." The first such vehicle, the Electromote , was made by his brother Ernst Werner von Siemens and presented to
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#17330862469192024-694: A team bus, for travel to away games , to a competition or to a final event . These buses are often specially decorated in a livery matching the team colours. Private companies often contract out private shuttle bus services, for transport of their customers or patrons, such as hotels, amusement parks , university campuses , or private airport transfer services. This shuttle usage can be as transport between locations, or to and from parking lots . High specification luxury coaches are often chartered by companies for executive or VIP transport. Charter buses may also be used in tourism and for promotion (See Tourism and Promotion sections). Many organisations, including
2116-441: A tour guide, although the driver or a recorded audio commentary may also perform this function. The tour operator may be a subsidiary of a company that operates buses and coaches for other uses or an independent company that charters buses or coaches. Commuter transport operators may also use their coaches to conduct tours within the target city between the morning and evening commuter transport journey. Buses and coaches are also
2208-455: A wide range of purposes, including rock and pop band tour vehicles. Horse-drawn buses were used from the 1820s, followed by steam buses in the 1830s, and electric trolleybuses in 1882. The first internal combustion engine buses, or motor buses, were used in 1895. Recently, interest has been growing in hybrid electric buses , fuel cell buses , and electric buses , as well as buses powered by compressed natural gas or biodiesel . As of
2300-408: Is a bus that is propelled using electric motors , as opposed to a conventional internal combustion engine . Electric buses can store the needed electrical energy on board, or be fed mains electricity continuously from an external source such as overhead lines . The majority of buses using on-board energy storage are battery electric buses (which is what this article mostly deals with), where
2392-482: Is also a plug-in hybrid version, which also uses ultracapacitors. Sinautec is in discussions with MIT 's Schindall about developing ultracapacitors of higher energy density using vertically aligned carbon nanotube structures that give the devices more surface area for holding a charge. So far, they are able to get twice the energy density of an existing ultracapacitor, but they are trying to get about five times. This would create an ultracapacitor with one-quarter of
2484-749: Is expected to be helpful for children with asthma. In addition, the BIDIRECTIONAL Act was introduced in the US Senate, to "create a program dedicated to deploying electric school buses with bidirectional vehicle-to-grid (V2G) flow capability." Transit authorities that use battery buses or other types of all-electric buses, other than trolleybuses : The UAE has recently introduced electric buses. The busses are public buses which serve Dubai. Highlights: Cities using electric buses include: As of 2016, 156,000 buses are being put into service per year in China. As of
2576-673: Is relatively inexpensive per mile. High local utility rates (especially during periods of peak demand) and proprietary charging systems pose barriers to adoption. In 2014, the first production-model all-electric school bus was delivered to the Kings Canyon Unified School District in California's San Joaquin Valley. The Class-A school bus was built by Trans Tech Bus , using an electric powertrain control system developed by Motiv Power Systems , of Foster City, California. The bus
2668-740: Is route 11 in Shanghai. In 2009, Sinautec Automobile Technologies , based in Arlington, VA , and its Chinese partner, Shanghai Aowei Technology Development Company are testing with 17 forty-one seat Ultracap Buses serving the Greater Shanghai area since 2006 without any major technical problems. Another 60 buses will be delivered early next year with ultracapacitors that supply 10 watt-hours per kilogram . The buses have very predictable routes and need to stop regularly, every 5 kilometres (3 mi), allowing opportunities for quick recharging. The trick
2760-471: Is sometimes staffed by promotions personnel, giving out free gifts. Campaign buses are often specially decorated for a political campaign or other social awareness information campaign, designed to bring a specific message to different areas, or used to transport campaign personnel to local areas/meetings. Exhibition buses are often sent to public events such as fairs and festivals for purposes such as recruitment campaigns, for example by private companies or
2852-561: Is the homes of celebrities , such as tours based near Hollywood . There are several such services between 6000 and 7000 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. In some countries, particularly the US and Canada, buses used to transport schoolchildren have evolved into a specific design with specified mandatory features. American states have also adopted laws regarding motorist conduct around school buses, including large fines and possibly prison for passing
Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus - Misplaced Pages Continue
2944-509: Is the largest operator of local tour buses, operating on a franchised basis all over the world. Specialist tour buses are also often owned and operated by safari parks and other theme parks or resorts . Longer-distance tours are also carried out by bus, either on a turn up and go basis or through a tour operator , and usually allow disembarkation from the bus to allow touring of sites of interest on foot. These may be day trips or longer excursions incorporating hotel stays. Tour buses often carry
3036-421: Is to turn some bus stops along the route into charging stations . At these stations, a collector on the top of the bus rises and touches an overhead charging line. Within a couple of minutes, the ultracapacitor banks stored under the bus seats are fully charged. The buses can also capture energy from braking, and the company says that recharging stations can be equipped with solar panels . A third generation of
3128-406: Is using 116 electric buses: In 2018 Rotterdam ordered 55 electric buses from VDL and in 2019 obtained a European Investment Bank loan to buy a further 105 electric and 103 hybrids. Since March 2018, 100 VDL Citea articulated electric buses operated by Connexxion have served Schiphol airport . The buses have a battery capacity of 170 kWh and a range of 80 kilometres. They are charged during
3220-467: The Leyland National where the two are practically inseparable. Specialist builders also exist and concentrate on building buses for special uses or modifying standard buses into specialised products. Integral designs have the advantages that they have been well-tested for strength and stability, and also are off-the-shelf . However, two incentives cause use of the chassis+body model. First, it allows
3312-681: The London General Omnibus Company —it entered service in 1910, and almost 3,000 had been built by the end of the decade. Hundreds of them saw military service on the Western Front during the First World War . The Yellow Coach Manufacturing Company , which rapidly became a major manufacturer of buses in the US, was founded in Chicago in 1923 by John D. Hertz . General Motors purchased a majority stake in 1925 and changed its name to
3404-526: The armed forces . Complex urban planning proposals may be organised into a mobile exhibition bus for the purposes of public consultation. In some sparsely populated areas, it is common to use brucks, buses with a cargo area to transport both passengers and cargo at the same time. They are especially common in the Nordic countries . Historically, the types and features of buses have developed according to local needs. Buses were fitted with technology appropriate to
3496-410: The energy density of a lithium-ion battery. Future developments includes the use of inductive charging under the street, to avoid overhead wiring. A pad under each bus stop and at each stop light along the way would be used. As with other electric vehicles , climate control and extremely cold weather will weaken the performance of electric buses. In addition, terrain may pose a challenge to
3588-575: The overhead wiring was removed and new charging pads were installed at the Ōgizawa terminal. The tunnel was originally built to efficiently bring supplies to the site for the construction of the hydroelectric plant of Kurobe Dam, by the Kansai Electric Power Company (Kanden or KEPCO). It is only one lane wide, except for a short section near the middle, which is wider so as to allow vehicles going in opposite directions to pass. The trolleybus service began operation on 1 August 1964. After
3680-407: The regenerative braking benefits. The ultracapacitors are made of activated carbon , and have an energy density of six watt-hours per kilogram (for comparison, a high-performance lithium-ion battery can achieve 200 watt-hours per kilogram), but the ultracapacitor bus is also cheaper than lithium-ion battery buses, about 40 percent less expensive, with a far superior reliability rating. There
3772-409: The visually impaired . Coaches generally use wheelchair lifts instead of low-floor designs. In some countries, vehicles are required to have these features by disability discrimination laws . Buses were initially configured with an engine in the front and an entrance at the rear. With the transition to one-man operation, many manufacturers moved to mid- or rear-engined designs, with a single door at
Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus - Misplaced Pages Continue
3864-453: The 1830s by Walter Hancock and by associates of Sir Goldsworthy Gurney , among others, running reliable services over road conditions which were too hazardous for horse-drawn transportation. The first mechanically propelled omnibus appeared on the streets of London on 22 April 1833. Steam carriages were much less likely to overturn, they travelled faster than horse-drawn carriages, they were much cheaper to run, and caused much less damage to
3956-478: The 1920s has been the diesel engine . Early buses, known as trolleybuses, were powered by electricity supplied from overhead lines . Nowadays, electric buses often carry their own battery, which is sometimes recharged on stops/stations to keep the size of the battery small/lightweight. Currently, interest exists in hybrid electric buses , fuel cell buses , electric buses , and ones powered by compressed natural gas or biodiesel . Gyrobuses , which are powered by
4048-455: The 2010s, bus manufacturing is increasingly globalised , with the same designs appearing around the world. The word bus is a shortened form of the Latin adjectival form omnibus ("for all"), the dative plural of omnis/omne ("all"). The theoretical full name is in French voiture omnibus ("vehicle for all"). The name originates from a mass-transport service started in 1823 by
4140-467: The British lead and sourced buses from British manufacturers, leading to a prevalence of double-decker buses . Several Eastern Bloc countries adopted trolleybus systems, and their manufacturers such as Trolza exported trolleybuses to other friendly states. In the 1930s, Italy designed the world's only triple decker bus for the busy route between Rome and Tivoli that could carry eighty-eight passengers. It
4232-586: The Canadian manufacturer Lion Bus offers a full size school bus, eLion , with a body made out of composites. It is a regular production version that is built and shipped in volume since early 2016, with around 50 units sold until 2017. In February 2021, there were about 300 electric schoolbuses in operation in the United States. That month, Montgomery County, Maryland approved a contract to transition its 1,400 vehicle schoolbus fleet to electric buses by 2035, with
4324-657: The Dutch public transport authorities agreed to buy only emission-free buses from 2025 onwards, and to make the entire fleet emission-free by 2030. In December 2018 GVB ordered 31 electric buses from VDL, with an option for 69 more buses. They entered service on 2 April 2020 on routes 15, 22 and 36, and are The buses recharge through a pantograph from 31 8 MW Heliox fast chargers at the Garage West depot on Jan Tooropstraat and seven 45 kW chargers at Sloterdijk station . EBS ( Egged Bus Systems ), which primarily serves Waterland to
4416-407: The US electrical grid . Bus A bus (contracted from omnibus , with variants multibus , motorbus , autobus , etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van , but fewer than the average rail transport . It is most commonly used in public transport , but is also in use for charter purposes, or through private ownership. Although
4508-638: The US is under construction in Montgomery County, MD , and scheduled for completion in fall of 2022. Buses can use capacitors instead of batteries to store their energy. Ultracapacitors can only store about 5 percent of the energy that lithium-ion batteries hold for the same weight, limiting them to a short distance per charge. However ultracapacitors can charge and discharge much more rapidly than conventional batteries. In vehicles that have to stop frequently and predictably as part of normal operation, energy storage based exclusively on ultracapacitors can be
4600-643: The Yellow Truck and Coach Manufacturing Company. GM purchased the balance of the shares in 1943 to form the GM Truck and Coach Division . Models expanded in the 20th century, leading to the widespread introduction of the contemporary recognizable form of full-sized buses from the 1950s. The AEC Routemaster , developed in the 1950s, was a pioneering design and remains an icon of London to this day. The innovative design used lightweight aluminium and techniques developed in aircraft production during World War II . As well as
4692-442: The adoption of electric vehicles that carry stored energy compared to trolleybuses, which draw power from overhead lines. Also, compared to trolleybuses, battery electric buses have lower passenger capacity because the weight of the batteries increases axle loads in jurisdictions where there are legal axle load limits on roads. Even when conditions are favorable, internal combustion engine buses are frequently diesel powered, and diesel
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#17330862469194784-415: The average bus carries between 30 and 100 passengers, some buses have a capacity of up to 300 passengers. The most common type is the single-deck rigid bus , with double-decker and articulated buses carrying larger loads, and midibuses and minibuses carrying smaller loads. Coaches are used for longer-distance services. Many types of buses, such as city transit buses and inter-city coaches, charge
4876-689: The bi-articulated bus or tram-style buses such as the Wright StreetCar and the Irisbus Civis. Buses and coach services often operate to a predetermined published public transport timetable defining the route and the timing, but smaller vehicles may be used on more flexible demand responsive transport services. Buses play a major part in the tourism industry. Tour buses around the world allow tourists to view local attractions or scenery. These are often open-top buses , but can also be regular buses or coaches. In local sightseeing , City Sightseeing
4968-465: The bus with displays and decorations or awnings and fittings. Interiors may be fitted out for exhibition or information purposes with special equipment or audio visual devices. Bus advertising takes many forms, often as interior and exterior adverts and all-over advertising liveries. The practice often extends into the exclusive private hire and use of a bus to promote a brand or product, appearing at large public events, or touring busy streets. The bus
5060-417: The buyer and manufacturer both to shop for the best deal for their needs, rather than having to settle on one fixed design—the buyer can choose the body and the chassis separately. Second, over the lifetime of a vehicle (in constant service and heavy traffic), it will likely get minor damage now and again, and being able easily to replace a body panel or window etc. can vastly increase its service life and save
5152-980: The cities above, are operating more than 350 electric buses all over Romania, and their number is expanding. Most of the electric buses in Romania are deliveres by: Solaris (Poland), SOR (Czech Republic), Karsan (Turkey), Temsa (Turkey), BYD (China), ZTE Bus in cooperation with BMC Trucks and Bus (Romania). The list above is incomplete, as more tenders for electric buses are being launched, and more buses and models continue to appear. In November 2019, orders for new electric buses had outpaced manufacturing capacity. The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act included $ 2.5 billion in funding for electric school buses, to be distributed over five years. By June 2022, there were commitments to 12,275 electric school buses in 38 states. A 2022 study by National Grid and Hitachi Energy indicates that installing charging infrastructure for fleet electrification will require location-specific upgrades to
5244-505: The controlled alignment at bus stops and less space taken up by guided lanes than conventional roads or bus lanes . Guidance can be mechanical, optical, or electromagnetic. Extensions of the guided technology include the Guided Light Transit and Translohr systems, although these are more often termed 'rubber-tyred trams' as they have limited or no mobility away from their guideways. Transit buses are normally painted to identify
5336-610: The cost and inconvenience of removing it from service. As with the rest of the automotive industry , into the 20th century, bus manufacturing increasingly became globalized, with manufacturers producing buses far from their intended market to exploit labour and material cost advantages. A typical city bus costs almost US$ 450,000. Transit buses , used on public transport bus services , have utilitarian fittings designed for efficient movement of large numbers of people, and often have multiple doors. Coaches are used for longer-distance routes. High-capacity bus rapid transit services may use
5428-402: The costs involved in owning, operating, and driving buses and coaches, much bus and coach use comes from the private hire of vehicles from charter bus companies, either for a day or two or on a longer contract basis, where the charter company provides the vehicles and qualified drivers. Charter bus operators may be completely independent businesses, or charter hire may be a subsidiary business of
5520-420: The country, as trolleybus lines are legally considered as a sort of railway in Japan. During peak hours, multiple buses operate through the tunnel in convoys . As many as 10 buses can be operated in a single convoy if ridership is high. During the trolleybus era (at least its later years), the maximum number of trolleybuses in a convoy was seven, and that was the maximum number that the passing area in mid-tunnel
5612-657: The country. In parallel to the development of the bus was the invention of the electric trolleybus, typically fed through trolley poles by overhead wires . The Siemens brothers, William in England and Ernst Werner in Germany, collaborated on the development of the trolleybus concept. Sir William first proposed the idea in an article to the Journal of the Society of Arts in 1881 as an "...arrangement by which an ordinary omnibus...would have
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#17330862469195704-415: The customers to choose their own itineraries. Tour buses come with professional and informed staff and insurance, and maintain state governed safety standards. Some provide other facilities like entertainment units , luxurious reclining seats, large scenic windows, and even lavatories. Public long-distance coach networks are also often used as a low-cost method of travel by students or young people travelling
5796-468: The dam and its power station were completed, KEPCO opened the tunnel for public use, as the power company had been ordered to do so by the Ministry of Health and Welfare . The single-lane tunnel was not suitable for cars, and there was no space for parking, so the company chose to build a trolleybus line in the tunnel. On 15 April 2019, the line was reopened with 15 new battery-electric buses. To commemorate
5888-468: The day by Heliox 450 kW fast chargers, taking between 15 and 25 minutes. Overnight, 30 kW slow charges take 4–5 hours. They are powered by 100% renewable energy , from wind power and solar panels at the depots. The buses serve two different networks: Since 2016 a fleet of 35 BYD 12-metre battery buses has provided airfield services. In Utrecht, Qbuzz has operated electric buses since 2017. In April 2013 six all-electric BYD buses operated on
5980-480: The early days, a few other methods of current collection were used. Leeds and Bradford became the first cities to put trolleybuses into service in Great Britain on 20 June 1911. In Siegerland , Germany, two passenger bus lines ran briefly, but unprofitably, in 1895 using a six-passenger motor carriage developed from the 1893 Benz Viktoria . Another commercial bus line using the same model Benz omnibuses ran for
6072-491: The electric motor obtains energy from an onboard battery pack , although examples of other storage modes do exist, such as the gyrobus that uses flywheel energy storage . When electricity is not stored on board, it is supplied by contact with outside power supplies, for example, via a current collector (like the overhead conduction poles in trolleybuses ), or with a ground-level power supply , or through inductive charging . As of 2017, 99% of all battery electric buses in
6164-583: The electricity stored on board the vehicle in a battery. As of 2024, battery electric buses could have a range of over 350km with just one charge, although extreme temperatures, hills, driving style and heavy loads can reduce range. City driving involves a great deal of accelerating and braking. Due to that, the battery electric bus is superior to diesel bus as it can recharge most of the kinetic energy back into batteries during braking, which reduces brake wear. The use of electric over diesel propulsion reduces noise and pollution in cities. When operating within
6256-473: The end of trolleybus operation, several events were held between 15 April 2018 and 30 November 2018. The Kanden Tunnel electric bus line is owned and operated by the Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO), the same company as had owned it during the trolleybus era. Before the withdrawal of the trolleybuses, KEPCO was once to be considered the railway operator with the largest capital stock in
6348-496: The end of 2020, 378,700 electric buses were in operation, accounting for 53.8% of the total amount of buses. 741 electric buses are operated by Mowasalat (Karwa) the country's public transit system. The electrification of Belgium's buses is on a strong upward trend: As for fully electric buses, Belgium only had 4 in operation in 2019. operates Wright StreetDeck Electroliner BEVs and Wright GB Kite Electroliner BEVs and Yutong E12 and Yutong E15 BEVs The Netherlands has
6440-555: The far east has led to the adoption of high capacity long multi-axle buses , often double-deckers while South America and China are implementing large numbers of articulated buses for bus rapid transit schemes. Euro Bus Expo is a trade show , which is held biennially at the UK's National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. As the official show of the Confederation of Passenger Transport ,
6532-450: The first 25 buses arriving in fall 2021. The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act included $ 2.5 billion in funding for electric school buses, to be distributed over five years. By June 2022, 38 US states were using electric schoolbuses. In September 2022, EPA funding for electric schoolbuses was doubled, from $ 500 million to almost $ 1 billion, due to high demand. The improvement in air quality over diesel powered school buses
6624-545: The front or multiple doors. The move to the low-floor design has all but eliminated the mid-engined design, although some coaches still have mid-mounted engines. Front-engined buses still persist for niche markets such as American school buses, some minibuses, and buses in less developed countries, which may be derived from truck chassis, rather than purpose-built bus designs. Most buses have two axles , while articulated buses have three. Guided buses are fitted with technology to allow them to run in designated guideways, allowing
6716-428: The front, but a second door was added in 1976, in the center. The next four (117–120) also had only a single door, and retained this configuration. The 200-series vehicles came with two doors. They had longitudinal seating, whereas the 100-series vehicles had forward-facing seats. All of the 1964–1973 vehicles were withdrawn from service in the early to mid-1990s and replaced by a new fleet of nine trolleybuses built by
6808-698: The island of Schiermonnikoog . Arriva started running 16 electric buses on Vlieland, Ameland and Schiermonnikoog. As of 2022, around 700 electric buses—not counting trolleybuses —from different manufacturers are operated in Poland, and there are plans to obtain another few hundred. The largest fleets are located in Warsaw (162 buses), Kraków (78 buses), Poznań (59 buses), Jaworzno (44 buses) and Zielona Góra (43 buses). Trolleybuses operate in Gdynia , Lublin and Tychy , with around 250–300 in service. In Romania, except for
6900-568: The local climate or passenger needs, such as air conditioning in Asia, or cycle mounts on North American buses. The bus types in use around the world where there was little mass production were often sourced secondhand from other countries, such as the Malta bus , and buses in use in Africa. Other countries such as Cuba required novel solutions to import restrictions, with the creation of the "camellos" ( camel bus ),
6992-443: The momentum stored by a flywheel , were tried in the 1940s. United Kingdom and European Union: United States, Canada and Mexico: Early bus manufacturing grew out of carriage coach building , and later out of automobile or truck manufacturers. Early buses were merely a bus body fitted to a truck chassis. This body+chassis approach has continued with modern specialist manufacturers, although there also exist integral designs such as
7084-536: The most electric buses of any European country. At the end of 2019 the number had reached 770, or 15% of the entire Dutch fleet of 5,236 buses. This is expected to grow to 1,388 by the end of 2020. In the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe 47% of buses are electric, in Limburg 37% and in North Holland 31%. The main manufacturers are VDL (486 of the existing 770) Ebusco (110), Heuliez (49) and BYD (44). In 2015,
7176-550: The north of Amsterdam, has also ordered 10 electric buses from VDL. Arnhem has the Netherlands's only trolleybus network , which opened in 1949 and operates 46 articulated buses on six routes. On 11 December 2016 Hermes introduced 43 fully electric VDL 18-metre buses in Eindhoven , driving a daily distance of 400 km each. In 2017 this was the biggest all-electric bus operation of Europe. For use on its Haaglanden network EBS
7268-448: The operator or a route, function, or to demarcate low-cost or premium service buses. Liveries may be painted onto the vehicle, applied using adhesive vinyl technologies, or using decals . Vehicles often also carry bus advertising or part or all of their visible surfaces (as mobile billboard ). Campaign buses may be decorated with key campaign messages; these can be to promote an event or initiative. The most common power source since
7360-871: The police, not for profit , social or charitable groups with a regular need for group transport may find it practical or cost-effective to own and operate a bus for their own needs. These are often minibuses for practical, tax and driver licensing reasons, although they can also be full-size buses. Cadet or scout groups or other youth organizations may also own buses. Companies such as railroads, construction contractors, and agricultural firms may own buses to transport employees to and from remote job sites. Specific charities may exist to fund and operate bus transport, usually using specially modified mobility buses or otherwise accessible buses (See Accessibility section). Some use their contributions to buy vehicles and provide volunteer drivers. Airport operators make use of special airside airport buses for crew and passenger transport in
7452-575: The product, will give 32 kilometres (20 mi) of range per charge or better. Such a bus was delivered by Chariot Motors in Sofia, Bulgaria in May 2014 for 9 months' test. It covers 23 km in 2 charges. Sinautec estimates that one of its buses has one-tenth the energy cost of a diesel bus and can achieve lifetime fuel savings of $ 200,000. Also, the buses use 40 percent less electricity compared to an electric trolley bus , mainly because they are lighter and have
7544-481: The public in 1882 in Halensee , Germany . Although this experimental vehicle fulfilled all the technical criteria of a typical trolleybus, it was dismantled in the same year after the demonstration. Max Schiemann opened a passenger-carrying trolleybus in 1901 near Dresden , in Germany. Although this system operated only until 1904, Schiemann had developed what is now the standard trolleybus current collection system. In
7636-556: The road surface due to their wide tyres. However, the heavy road tolls imposed by the turnpike trusts discouraged steam road vehicles and left the way clear for the horse bus companies, and from 1861 onwards, harsh legislation virtually eliminated mechanically propelled vehicles from the roads of Great Britain for 30 years, the Locomotive Act 1861 imposing restrictive speed limits on "road locomotives" of 5 mph (8.0 km/h) in towns and cities, and 10 mph (16 km/h) in
7728-797: The same two manufacturers, in 1993 and 1994, and numbered 301–309. Another six of the same type were delivered later, by 1996, making the full new trolleybus fleet 15 vehicles numbered 301–315. All had two-and-one seating (forward-facing seats in pairs on one side of the vehicle and single seats on the other). Of the previous fleet, the first six were scrapped, but all nine of the others were donated to Mexico City 's Servicio de Transportes Eléctricos (STE), for possible use there, arriving in Mexico City in 1994–1997, but they were never placed in service by STE. 36°34′3.8″N 137°41′18.4″E / 36.567722°N 137.688444°E / 36.567722; 137.688444 Electric bus An electric bus
7820-547: The secure airside parts of an airport. Some public authorities, police forces, and military forces make use of armoured buses where there is a special need to provide increased passenger protection. The United States Secret Service acquired two in 2010 for transporting dignitaries needing special protection. Police departments make use of police buses for a variety of reasons, such as prisoner transport , officer transport, temporary detention facilities, and as command and control vehicles . Some fire departments also use
7912-530: The success and popularity of this bus, DMG expanded production, selling more buses to companies in London and, in 1899, to Stockholm and Speyer . Daimler Motors Corporation also entered into a partnership with the British company Milnes and developed a new double-decker in 1902 that became the market standard. The first mass-produced bus model was the B-type double-decker bus , designed by Frank Searle and operated by
8004-553: The transport service into his principal lucrative business venture and closed the mill and spa. Nantes citizens soon gave the nickname "omnibus" to the vehicle. Having invented the successful concept Baudry moved to Paris and launched the first omnibus service there in April 1828. A similar service was introduced in Manchester in 1824 and in London in 1829. Regular intercity bus services by steam-powered buses were pioneered in England in
8096-588: The world have been deployed in Mainland China , with more than 421,000 buses on the road, which is 17% of China 's total bus fleet. For comparison, the United States had 300, and Europe had 2,250. By 2021, China's share of electric buses remained at 98% while Europe had reached 8,500 electric buses, with the largest fleet in Europe being Moscow . One of the most popular types of electric buses nowadays are battery electric buses . Battery electric buses have
8188-537: The world. Some companies such as Topdeck Travel were set up specifically to use buses to drive the hippie trail or travel to places such as North Africa. In many tourist or travel destinations, a bus is part of the tourist attraction , such as the North American tourist trolleys , London's AEC Routemaster heritage routes , or the customised buses of Malta, Asia, and the Americas. Another example of tourist stops
8280-506: Was able to accommodate. The original fleet comprised six Mitsubishi Fuso trolleybuses with bodies by Osaka Sharyo Kogyo, built in 1964, numbered 101–106 (renumbered 111–116 in 1976). Additional vehicles built by the same manufacturers, to the same or very similar design, were acquired gradually—at a rate of about one new trolleybus per year—between 1966 and 1973, carrying fleet numbers 107–110 and 201–205 (renumbered 117–120 and 211–215 in 1976). The first six trolleybuses had only one door, at
8372-587: Was one of four the district ordered. The first round of SST-e buses (as they are called) is partly funded by the AB 118 Air Quality Improvement Program administered by the California Air Resources Board . The Trans Tech/Motiv vehicle has passed all KCUSD and California Highway Patrol inspections and certifications. Although some diesel hybrids are in use, this is the first modern electric school bus approved for student transportation by any state. Since 2015,
8464-451: Was unique not only in being a triple decker but having a separate smoking compartment on the third level. The buses to be found in countries around the world often reflect the quality of the local road network, with high-floor resilient truck-based designs prevalent in several less developed countries where buses are subject to tough operating conditions. Population density also has a major impact, where dense urbanisation such as in Japan and
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