Cuba’s First Ecobus
Cuba Debate | Wednesday, 3 January 2018 | Click here for original article
On 27 November, the first fully electric bus in Cuba started providing a service to Havana residents from the city’s Palatine terminal.
The bus is manufactured by the Chinese company Yutong who have been providing urban and interprovincial transport in Cuba since 2005.
Yutong Havana sales manager, Jesús Zhou, said that the E12 bus had been prepared to deal with the specific characteristics and conditions of the Caribbean island, including heat, humidity and poor roads.
The bus will be limited to a speed of 69 km/h, enough to travel through the streets of Havana. It is fitted with tires that do not have an internal chamber, so, if punctured, the bus can continue for a further 30 kilometers before completely losing air – enough to return passengers along the route and to the depot.
The bus, which is 12 meters long, 2.5 wide and 3.2 meters high, provides more room and comfort for passengers, with 35 seat capacity, including five for disabled passengers, and a wider corridor which allows for 70 standing.
Daniel Ríos Santos, the first Cuban "ecological" driver, says that the bus is much better for the driver and passengers, with improved air conditioning, and a seat and steering wheel.
It also has a camera near the rear door, so the driver can check on passenger numbers and built-in door sensors to prevent doors closing when there is an obstruction.
As part of the Havana Transport Company, the new bus will make the same route stops and cost 40 cents.
This article originally appeared in Spanish on CubaDebate
