Taipei’s First All-Electric Bus Route

 The city of Taipei, Taiwan, has opened its first all-electric bus route, with the fleet powered by electric drivetrains delivered by Danfoss Editron (formerly known as Visedo Oy), the electrification arm of Danfoss group. The city will have 12 buses serving a 31.5 km route across Taipei, linking 4 MRT stations, 11 schools and 5 major business districts.

The buses were commissioned by RAC Electric Vehicles, and the company has already placed an order to Danfoss Editron for another 36 drivetrains to be delivered early next year.  Danfoss said the 12-ton buses are among the lightest on the market in their class. thanks to the design of the Editron system.

The system’s Danfoss permanent magnet machines also reduce fuel and prolong the buses’ operation range, able to run above 260 km when fully loaded, and over 300 km when empty.

Editron’s control and monitoring software is capable of running self-diagnosis and is constantly monitoring and reporting to the control center on motor temperature, power situation and remaining mileage. This is being done to reduce the risk of sudden bus failure and improves the efficiency of the overall operation.

 Each bus’s roof is equipped with a 302 sq m  single crystal solar panel that can generate 130 kW of electricity per day. Each bus can be charged in just five hours.

 This program is part of Taipei City Public Transportation Office’s green energy policy, which aims to have 400 electric buses on its roads in the next four years. The long-term goal for the city is to have an all-electric bus network.

 Kimmo Rauma, Danfoss Editron vice-president, said: “We have been very active in Taiwan since we launched a hybrid-electric ferry in 2017 and we’ve seen how quickly electrification is happening in this region. We are excited that Taipei has made the choice to electrify its bus fleet and, of course, that they chose Danfoss Editron technology to achieve that vision.”

 Danfoss Editron has a manufacturing partnership with TECO Electric & Machinery Co., one of Asia’s largest electric motor producers. The company manufactures Danfoss Editron’s SPRM motors in Asia.