The two electric buses providing the shuttle service between the Budějovická metro station and BB Centrum (Brumlovka) have already travelled more than 200,000 km. They have been in operation since February 2016 and over the five and a half years they have been in operation more than two million passengers have used their services. They are the first electric buses that have been placed into normal operations in the Prague transit system and they have been received very positively by the passengers from the very beginning. They primarily appreciate their quiet and smooth ride and the opportunity to connect to free Wi-Fi.
The electric buses were put into operation in order to test how they work within the urban mass transit system and also to verify the battery life. The latter was originally estimated for five years. But even in the sixth year of operation the batteries still retain an adequate charging capacity and do not show any major signs of wear or a negative effect on the performance or lower daily bus mileage. Each bus travels nearly 100 km a day, on average.
The advantage of electric compared to diesel buses is mainly the quieter operation, smoother starting and braking and significantly greater acceleration. At the same time, e-bus technology is less service and repair intensive than combustion motors. Plus, the operation of electric buses is environmentally friendly, because they do not use conventional fuels, which contributes to the protection of the environment and helps improve air quality in the city.
In 2016, ČEZ became the main partner of the project of Passerinvest Group and Arriva, which deployed a pair of SOR electric buses in the shuttle service on the “BB” routes in addition to regular buses. The regular contribution to the operation of the electric buses is an expression of ČEZ’s support in the development of electric drive in the Czech Republic as well as the responsibility for the emission-free transportation service to Brumlovka, where thousands of employees travel every day.
