China’s First Intercity Electric Bus Route to Open This Weekend

China’s first intercity electric passenger bus will take its first trip this weekend in another milestone for the country’s burgeoning electric vehicle and Li-ion battery markets.

A fleet of ten electric buses operated by Qingdao Jiaoyun Group will service the route, which will connect the cities of Qingdao and Laixi in eastern Shandong Province.

Laixi will also build China’s first county-level intercity battery charging station to service the new route at a cost of almost USD18 million.

And by the end of April, Laixi will crown a hat-trick of records for electric vehicles in China when it becomes the first Chinese city to have a completely electrified bus network. The Qingdao city government, which administers Laixi, plans to put 110 new electric buses into operation in the city to make this happen.

The Chinese government has set its provincial-level officials ambitious targets for promoting the electric vehicle market, which it sees as key to reducing air pollution and stimulating economic growth, so CCM expects to see more eye-catching announcements over the next few months.

Want more news, data and analysis on China’s Li-ion battery and EV markets?

Then send us an email to econtact@cnchemicals.com and we’ll set up a two-month, no-strings Free Trial of China Li-ion Battery E-News for you.

For more information, please email us at econtact@cnchemicals.com or call us on +86-20-37616606.