CSR unveils its ultra quick-charging electric bus

The ultra quick-charging electric bus is unveiled by Zhuzhou Electric Locmotive and its parent company, China South Locomotive &Rolling Stock Corporation (CSR), on April 16, 2015. The company says the bus's electric battery can be fully charged in 30 seconds—a full charge lasts for about 5km. [Photo: Xinhua]

China's high-speed train manufacturer, China South Locomotive &Rolling Stock Corporation (CSR), unveiled what could be the world's quickest-charging electric bus at the company's industrial base in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang province, on Thursday. The bus runs on a battery that takes just 30 seconds to be fully charged.

The bus can run about 5km on a full charge.

Liu Youmei, a team-director at CSR subsidiary Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive, which produced the vehicle, said that recharge stations will be placed at every bus stop along routes that these electric vehicles service. With their 30-second charging time, buses can be fully charged as passengers are picked up and dropped off.

In addition, the bus consumes 30 to 50 percent less energy than other electric vehicles and its capacitor can function safely for 12 years, even under extreme temperatures, according to CSR.

About 1,200 buses were ordered by Ningbo government during the electric vehicle's unveiling. All purchased buses are expected to hit the road in the city within the next five years.