Hyundai reveals EV bus with 300km range

Hyundai is testing the limits of available EV tech by placing a 384kWh battery in a dual-motor double-decker bus which it unveiled this week at the ‘Land, Infrastructure and Transport Tehcnology Fair’ held in Seoul, Korea.

The behemoth six-axle bus can carry 70 passengers 300km on a single charge, and Hyundai claims that it can be recharged in just 72 minutes.

Hyundai says the 70-passenger capacity is 1.5 times more than a conventionally powered double decker, and that the electric drivetrain comes with the benefits of being able to add more disabled accessibility.

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The bus is powered by a 240kW electric motor on one of the rear axles, with an auxiliary motor on the other to “minimise the loss of electricity."

How the 72-minute charge time is achieved has not been stated by the brand, but Volvo has achieved similar results with 300kW chargers specialised for electric heavy vehicles. The fastest electric charging units for cars are about 100kW at present. Most in Australia are 50kW or less.

The bus is also equipped with dual-axle steering and has advanced active safety features like auto emergency braking (AEB) and lane keep assist (LKAS).

The elecric bus can carry more passengers, and offers advanced safety tech.

The bus was developed by Hyundai over an 18-month period with assistance from the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Although conventional buses run on diesel and are by their very nature heavy polluters, a full bus is estimated to take up to 40 cars off the road, reducing congestion and subsequently emissions. The Australian bus industry estimates that just a 10 per cent shift toward the use of buses would result in a reduction in CO2 emissions by 400,000 tonnes per year.

The result would be compounded by a fleet of electric buses. Earlier this year, Volvo - which provides buses for many of Australia’s fleets - also revealed an electric autonomous single-deck bus in Singapore.