World premiere: First SOR articulated electric bus enters service in Hradec Králové
The newest type of Czech electric bus will run in Hradec Králové at least until May.
The Hradec Králové public transport company, DPMHK, is the first in the country to put the new SOR NS 18 articulated electric bus into service. The bus made its debut at the CzechBus trade fair last November. Hradec Králové will be the first city where passengers will use the new electric bus.
After a check-in system is installed, DPMHK would like to test the vehicle on regular lines. Currently, electric buses operate on five lines in Hradec Králové. The expansion of electric buses to other lines is limited by capacity, which is why the transport company is now testing the novelty.
The completely low-floor electric bus is equipped with a high-capacity traction battery of 600 kWH, for which the manufacturer guarantees a range of up to 350 km on a single charge. The vehicle can be charged overnight in slow mode and on the line during the day using a pantograph located on the roof. Equipment in the driver’s cabin and the passenger area reflects the latest technological trends.
So far, SOR has received its first binding order for the articulated electric bus from ČSAD MHD Kladno, where this electric bus will be moved after the tests in Hradec Králové. The framework contract provides for the delivery of up to eight vehicles.
Edited and translated by Lucie Trávníčková