N.Y. MTA completes testing of BYD all-electric bus

The test period was from August 25 to October 25, totaling two months in service, with the final report data now summarized for distribution.

“The general purpose of the program was to evaluate how an electric bus could perform in New York City’s heavy traffic, whether the electric bus can meet the twin challenges of operating in the stop-and-go traffic of Manhattan while maintaining high levels of passenger comfort and operational performance,” said MTA’s spokesman Kevin Ortiz.

The bus tested at MTA was supplied by BYD Motors and offers a range of 140-155 miles average between charges. Charging is intended to only be completed at night during off peak hours to reduce unwanted demand on the grid, and takes only three to four hours to return to full capacity.

The testing was carried out on different routes throughout Manhattan, covering a total distance during the trial of 1,481 miles.

The BYD all-electric bus “performed excellent” covering more than 140 miles per full charge in heavy traffic, according to company officials.