Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has launched a trial run of two Volvo 7900 electric buses. The two buses will shuttle on a specific path in both directions between La Mer South, King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Street and Al Sufouh Tram Station.
The launch is coordinated with Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Volvo Bus Company, Meraas Real Estate, and ABB Group, a leader in the electric bus charging industry. The step reflects RTA’s efforts to provide sustainable and environmentally friendly mass transit means.
The two buses are fitted with Opportunity Charging technology, which is experimented with for the first time in Dubai by which they are charged either through Pantograph using a standing electric charger provided by ABB Group at La Mer South or through cables connecting direct and alternate currents (DC and AC). A night electric charger is provided at Al Quoz Bus Depot to run the night charging when the two buses are out of service.
Each bus has modern batteries that enable it to travel 200 kilometers when fully charged. The length of the trip is determined by the road’s terrain, temperature, and air conditioner operation. Each bus contains 38 seats, 3 foldable seats, a place for People of Determination, and an interactive display screen.
Matar Mohammed Al Tayer Director-General and Chairman RTA
“The project is a unique example of integrated efforts of government departments as well as Public-Private Partnership (PPP). The success of deploying and operating electric buses and vehicles as part of RTA’s mass transit fleet hinges largely on the availability and reliability of the charging technology, and whether it supports the continuous operation of buses without stopping or having to return to the charging stations.”
RTA will monitor the operational efficiency of the two electric buses and experiment with charging them using the charger at La Mer as well as the overnight charger at the Al Quoz Bus Depot during the trial phase, which will last until March 2022.
It will train drivers on driving the electric bus and familiarize them with the bus system. It will also train controllers on monitoring the electric bus and the charging unit. RTA will work with project partners to ensure the readiness of buses, electric charging units, and the charging station.
RTA managed to convert 50 percent of the total Dubai Taxi fleet into environmentally-friendly hybrid vehicles in 2020. It intends to convert the entire taxi fleet to hybrid and electric vehicles by 2027. In December 2019, it launched the trial run of the first hydrogen taxi in the Middle East and deployed it as a limo service at the Dubai International Airport.
