Sixteen New KMB Electric Buses Hit The Road

Sixteen new electric buses operated by KMB hit the roads on Monday, plying the No. 6 route between Lai Chi Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui.

KMB said the single-deckers, manufactured by BYD and holding up to 81 people each, have battery management and water cooling systems to enable efficient battery use.

The buses take one hour and 40 minutes to charge up – two hours faster than its previous model – and can travel up to 200 kilometres when fully charged.

Meanwhile, KMB said it has purchased 52 electric double-deckers that will arrive next year, bringing the total number of buses in its green fleet to over 80.

It also plans to buy 500 more electric buses in 2025 to further reduce carbon emissions.

The CEO of World Green Organisation, William Yu, welcomed KMB’s decision, calling it a step in the right direction in promoting more environmentally friendly transport in the city.

"We can see the benefits. On the one hand, that is to reduce the air pollutants compared to traditional vehicles using gasoline and diesel,” he said.

"On the other hand, I think, because of the electricity use, it results in the reduction in carbon emissions, which will help combat climate change. So we look forward to seeing more and more electrified vehicles on the road.”

He added that bus companies should consider using cleaner energy, such as solar and wind energy, to power their electric fleets.