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In a bid to boost green transportation in Hong Kong, the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933)—more popularly known as KMB—has introduced a new fleet of electric buses. 16 single-decker vehicles will travel the busy thoroughfares of Kowloon, including Nathan Road, servicing KMB route 6 between the Star Ferry in Tsim Sha Tsui and Lai Chi Kok.
KMB’s green fleet began service on Monday, 25 April 2022. In addition to a quieter travel experience, the new batch of buses also come equipped with free 5G WiFi, seatbelts on every seat, and a battery management and water cooling system to “help monitor the efficiency and condition of the battery and control its temperature, effectively extending the battery life cycle and improving performance,” according to KMB. Each new bus takes only 1 hour and 40 minutes to fully charge, with the ability to cover 200 kilometres.
KMB has also put in an order for an additional 52 electric double-decker buses, due to arrive in Hong Kong next year, to bolster its pledge towards providing cleaner public transit and move towards “the development of zero-emission technology and the goal to upgrade our entire fleet to new energy buses,” as per the company’s official statement.
Produced by China’s BYD and the United Kingdom’s Alexander Dennis Limited, the 52 double-deckers will come with additional features, such as solar panels on the roof, more legroom, wider aisles between seats, and two wheelchair parking spaces. A full charge will take only 2.5 hours, with a corresponding driving range of 300 kilometres.
By 2023, KMB expects to own and deploy a fleet of 82 electric buses across the city, with 500 more planned for 2025. Its goal to reduce carbon emissions will be supported by the upgrade of its entire bus fleet to fully electric vehicles by 2050. Charging facilities are also being installed in existing KMB bus depots, with new multi-storey depots in the works.
Born in Hong Kong, raised in Germany, and educated in the U.S., Jen is an award-winning creative with a background in illustration, communication design, art direction, and content creation. When she’s not getting lost in a good book, you’ll find her doing crosswords, eating dim sum, covering all sides of a “Hamilton” number, and taking naps.
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