Hyundai Launches Its First Mass-Produced, All-Electric Commuter Bus

At the recently-concluded Hyundai 2017 Truck & Bus Megafair, Hyundai Motor Company took advantage of its grand, four-day event by launching its first-ever all-electric, mass-produced commuter bus in the Hyundai Elec City, which Carmudi Philippines first reported about earlier this month.

The Elec City can accommodate 25 passengers plus two to three more on wheelchairs thanks to its 'kneeling' system which allows the bus to sit lower to the ground when it's stopped to lower a wheelchair-accessible ramp to allow easier ingress and egress for handicapped passengers.

Powering the Elec City is a 240 kw (322 hp) Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor through 256 kWh lithium-polymer batteries to give it a range of 290 kilometers on a single charge. For shorter trips though, Hyundai offers a variant with 128 kWh batteries. The Elec City is charged through dual charging ports, with a full charge taking 67 minutes. Although the Elec City runs silently because of its electric motor, passengers and motorists alike will know of the bus's presence through its Virtual Engine Sound System while front, mid-door, and rear proximity sensors alert the driver of people or objects within the area.

The Elec City's driver is notified of the bus's various systems through a full LED digital instrument cluster and is separated from the passengers by a partition wall. According to Hyundai, the Elec City was developed as a response to the Korean government's stricter regulations to reduce vehicle emissions. The Hyundai Elec City is expected to officially go on sale in 2018.