Shin-Shin Bus launched Taipei's first electric-bus service on Oct. 29, employing vehicles manufactured by RAC Electric Vehicles Inc.

The service, route No. 66, travels between the Taipei Zoo and Songshan station, passing Xinyi Expressway, becoming the second environment-friendly transportation service in the city, after the mass-rapid transit system. A three-day free ride was available from Oct. 29.

At the inauguration ceremony, Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je pointed out that Taipei's mass-transportation service will develop in the direction of energy conservation, environmental protection, electrification, and safety, pledging to expand e-bus service. Shin-Shin noted that the service is actually an environment-friendly solution, including not only 12 electric buses in use but also the installation of terminal and traffic control center.  

The electric buses for the service are developed by RAC Electric Vehicles, a subsidiary of Mobiletron Co., Ltd., and Sumitomo Corp. jointly, boasting the merits of least weight, strongest uphill power, highest maximum speed, and longest cruising range among 12 meter-long electric buses. RAC supplies over 50% of key components for the bus.

Shin-Shin Bus has installed a complete electric-bus operating structure at its terminal near the Taipei Zoo in Muzha area, including charging posts, energy-storage devices, and a traffic control center, which employs big data in grasping not only the status of buses in operation but also their energy consumption, energy conversion rates, and charging efficiency, as well as enhancement of operating and driving safety.

Mono-si solar panels spanning 302 square meters in space have been installed atop the parking shed of the terminal, capable of generating 150 kW/h of power daily, 100 kW/h of which is supplied to the traffic control center, with the remainder to be stored for charging electric buses.

Shin-Shin plans to expand its electric-bus fleet to 30 buses by the end of 2018 and is considering to install wind turbines at the terminal to power the service.

(Collaborative media: TechNews, first photo courtesy of TechNews)