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| BYD's first bus at Sydney Airport |
ANYONE who has tried not to breath the tons of diesel fumes spewed
out by the passenger buses idling all day long at O.R. Tambo Airport will hope
local contractors will soon follow the example set by the Sydney Airport, where
Australia’s first electric airport bus is now transporting passengers to their
planes.
China’s BYD supplied two of six electric buses to Electric Blu,
which is replacing the airport’s existing diesel bus fleet servicing the shuttle
route between the T2/T3 terminal precinct and the Blu Emu Car Park.
The fleet of Blu Emu electric buses will deliver carbon emission
reductions of approximately 160 tons per year and improve local air quality
through zero tailpipe emissions. The fleet will also lower external noise
levels, reduce waste fluids to zero and decrease the amount of toxic material
generated during servicing.
Electric Blu is a “Toro” model electric bus, created by Carbridge
in a joint venture with the world’s leading global electric bus manufacturer
BYD. The Electric Blu bus has a carrying capacity of 70 passengers, features
purpose-designed luggage storage racks and has a range of 400 km on a single
charge. Sydney Airport has invested in charging stations and other ancillary
equipment to support the deployment of the new electric bus fleet.
The airport is also currently trialing electric cars as part of its
ground transport fleet and investigating solar-powered charging stations to
further decrease carbon emissions, while research and development is under way
for recycling and reuse of batteries and other components.
The cost of the project, over R72 million may, however mean
passengers queueing at the lower terminals of O.R. Tambo will have to continue
filtering the buses’ diesel fumes through their lungs for many more years yet.
