Belarus / UK - Trolleybus and electric bus specialist, BKM Holding of Minsk, Belarus, used the Coach and Bus UK show held at the NEC, Birmingham, UK, last month to display the 12.2m E420 Electrobus or E-bus, one of the latest product developments at BKM Holding. This two-axle low-floor electric bus, the company stated, produced previously in left hand drive markets, now has been produced specifically for the right-hand drive markets, like the UK and India. 

Ms Ekaterina Chistova – Director for Marketing and Sales/ Deputy CEO of BKM Holding explained the E-bus is based on ultrafast supercapacitor charging technology and has a range of up to 20 kilometres when fully charged. Charging by way of a pantograph system on the roof at the end terminal permits charging from 30% to 100% in just seven minutes. Chistova pointed out its supercapacitors offer some 90,000 charging cycles, the equivalent of more than 10 years’ battery life. After the show, subject to final UK vehicle validation, the electric bus was to be deployed on a three-month trial in Nottingham with CT4N.CT4N (formerly Nottingham Community Transport (NOC)) is the operating arm for Nottingham Community Transport; a small bus company based in Sherwood, Nottingham. CT4N is one of the largest UK operators of battery-powered electric buses, with two bespoke electric charging depots for the midi-bus and single deck fleet. Nottingham City Council own the electric bus fleet and contract CT4N to operate and maintain this fleet: Currently the fleet consists of 13 BYD 12m buses and 45 Optare Solo midi and Versa full size single buses.