Abu Dhabi’s Masdar launches region’s first all-electric bus

Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company – better known as Masdar – has launched the region’s first fully electric passenger bus as the capital of the UAE pursues clean and energy efficient transport.

The Eco-Bus is serving a six-stop route between Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station and Masdar City, and has been added to the city’s Department of Transport’s fleet.

The all-electric bus, jointly developed by Masdar, Siemens Middle East and Abu Dhabi-based bus manufacturer Hafilat Industry LLC, can seat 30 passengers with a range of 150 kilometres (93 miles) per battery charge, Masdar said in a statement.

Solar panels are also used to power the bus’s auxiliary systems, and it is designed to withstand the heat and humidity of the UAE climate.

“The launch of the Eco-Bus is a milestone for the UAE in a number of ways,” said Yousef Baselaib, executive director for sustainable real estate at Masdar.

“Masdar City has been an incubator of sustainable mobility technologies. Now we are exporting solutions beyond the city limits with our partners for the benefit of the wider community,” he added.

The UAE has set a clean energy target of 27 per cent by 2021, and green energy company Masdar, wholly-owned by Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company, has invested $8.5bn in renewable energy projects in the UAE and abroad.

The initiative is part of a series of future projects aimed at enhancing the intelligent transportation system in Abu Dhabi and making it part of the daily lives of public transport users, the statement said.