Electric-powered buses will take to the streets in April in Hangzhou, capital of the eastern China province of Zhejiang, making it the first Chinese city to run the environmentally-friendly buses.

The buses, with a maximum speed of 85 kilometers per hour, will begin trial operation on a circuit route along the city's famous West Lake. If successful, they will be used on scenic routes in the popular tourist city.

The new bus looks like a traditional one, but without a big, black exhaust pipe at the rear, and carries a one-ton electric battery. The larger version of the bus can run 280 kilometers per charge, which lasts four to six hours, while the smaller can run 380 kilometers by per charge of three to five hours, according to city officials.

The authorities will set up special recharging stations along the lake and in the downtown area for the buses, which are free ofloud noise and emissions, and leave no oil stains on roads, according to the officials.

The provincial government plans to expand the use of the buses to other major provincial cities if they function well in the capital.

2004/03/07
Source: Xinhuanet