2017 has been the year for electric vehicles. From electric ships to electric semi trucks, electric buses, and electric trains, all modes of transportation are looking at this as an alternative to fuel. China has been leading the research on electric and autonomous vehicles with plans to become the world leader in the technology.
Shenzhen, China just revealed a massive fleet of 16,000 electric buses that will facilitate 12 million people. Electric vehicles were a symbol of the elite when they first launched but due to efforts of companies like Tesla and Baidu, they are now accessible to everyone and provide an efficient alternative to conventional diesel vehicles.
The electric revolution is at its peak and not only individuals and businesses understand the economic value the electric vehicles have to offer but the governments are encouraging it too. One day, all the local commute could be switched to electric and there is no better example than China.
Shenzhen has been working on the massive fleet for years and just unveiled their electric buses to the world two years ahead of schedule. They number more than 16,000 and are already one of the world’s largest bus fleets. The fleet comes with 8,000 charge points and 510 different stations so that half the fleet can be charged at any point in time.
According to the estimates, this fleet will save 345,000 tons of fuel per year the carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by 1.35 million tons. Shenzhen does not aim to stop here and is looking to the future. Zheng Jingyu, head of the public transport department in Shenzhen states, “We will gradually replace the existing fuel-powered cabs with electricity-powered ones and complete the target by 2020, or even ahead of schedule”.
This impressive fleet of electric buses will set a precedent and many are expected to follow in its footsteps. You can watch the video here:
