Cardiff residents might have spotted that a new type of bus has appeared on the roads. Cardiff Bus is trialling the grey and black fully electric vehicle for two weeks.
The bus company said it is testing it to "sample another manufacturer's offering" and compare it with its existing electric buses. The full size single deck vehicle is very similar to its current electric fleet but differs in design.
The eCitaro, a fully developed all-electric bus by Mercedes-Benz, is being trialled on service 27 - from the city centre to Thornhill - until Thursday, July 21. This is one of the routes the current electric vehicle fleet operates on, so the two types can be closely compared.
The company has called on bus users to provide feedback on the new vehicle. Its comes after Cardiff Bus unveiled its new 36-strong fleet of zero-emission electric buses in January this year.
The Yutong E12 zero-emission single-decker buses were revealed as the company strives towards reducing emissions and air pollution in the city. The new buses currently account for 24% of Cardiff Bus' fleet of vehicles and are being used on route 27, routes 44/45 from the city centre to St Mellons, and routes 49/50 from the city centre to Llanrumney.
They have wifi and are air conditioned, and provide a quieter ride for customers. Each bus has 'next stop' audio and visual announcements and USB ports for customers. The fleet is set to save 650,000 tonnes over the lifetime of their operation, which is expected to be 12 to 15 years.
Explaining the new grey bus being trialled, Gareth Stevens, commercial director for Cardiff Bus, said: "It is similar to our current EV buses – i.e. a full size single deck. It gives the opportunity to sample another manufacturer's offering. We are using service 27 as that’s a route we operate EV buses on already so permits a good basis to compare and this is with us for the next 2 weeks."
Read next:
- 18-year-old arrested in connection with more than 40 vehicle thefts in one neighbourhood
- ‘My son is being beaten black and blue at school because he’s English’
- Two fighting for their lives after van hits tree in Cardiff
- Man carrying box of Crunchy Nut Corn Flakes told to 'f**k off' after ringing doorbell of random house at midnight asking for milk
-
Girl, 17, with 'fantastic personality' dies of rare blood disorder
