www.chinabuses.org: A bus that only needs to be charged for 5 minutes through an overhead electric charging device at bus stops to run for 20 city blocks – is this the answer we have been looking for?

The first electrical trolley bus was invented in Germany in 1882. Over 125 years later, Electric Vehicle (EV) technology has indeed come a long way and EVs have become integrated into the fibre of people’s lives, especially when it comes to public transport. Various countries like Canada, USA, Germany, UK, Russia and India have been using electric buses and/or trains for a number of years now.

Taking public transport is great for energy saving. However, for some engineers this wasn’t quite enough and they’ve designed a bus that’s even more environmentally friendly. Check out this video on Ultra Capacitor Zero Emissions Transit Bus which has a very novel way of recharging (can put actual link/hyperlink to video/embed video).

Could it be that this bus will be the success story of EV applications and strengthen the case for battery-and-capacitor operated EVs by being more cost-effective? Or will it be yet another stepping stone in the long and colourful journey of the automotive industry? Only time will tell.

For now, this novel idea has gotten rid of the troublesome overhead power lines that cities like Vancouver base their electric bus system on by charging the onboard ultra capacitors at bus stops. This bus only needs to be charged for 5 minutes to run for 20 city blocks, and has a back-up battery that is good to go for 50 miles at a stretch. Is this bus the best application for EVs or are there ways to improve it further?

According to the introduction, Foton China will be talking about commercial vehicles and buses at the EV Li-ion Battery Forum 2010 (The 2nd). The Forum will be held in Beijing from 24th to 27th August, featuring over 55 Speakers from 16 different countries, including 17 vehicle and 10 battery manufacturers.