Chinese ‘green’ bus on trial

The STIB will be testing a Chinese zero-emission electric bus in Brussels from December 10. Painted completely in green, the 100% electric bus is quieter than STIB’s existing 630-strong fleet of diesel buses and has no exhaust. The new vehicle does not require drivers to have special training. The quiet, clean bus is on trial because from 2015 STIB will no longer be able to order diesel buses. Chinese company BYD (Build Your Dreams) is lending the bus for a period of two months. It has guaranteed that the bus can drive autonomously in urban traffic with 70 passengers on board for 250km. STIB will be operating the bus on lines 38, 48, 53 and 64 and on the route to Beauvechain airport. But no passengers will be carried on the green bus; they will be replaced by sand bags.