Hyundai revealed on Thursday its new electric bus, the Elec City, capable of traveling 180 miles on just a little over an hour of charging, as reported by Yonhap News.
The report from Yonhap indicates that Hyundai has dedicated the last eight years to developing this vehicle. This initiative aligns with the company’s strategy to enhance the efficiency of its commercial and public transportation fleet.
The estimated cost of each Elec City bus stands around $179,000, excluding any potential government incentives, according to Yonhap. It features a 256 kilowatt-per-hour battery that can be fully charged in just 67 minutes.
While the bus is nearly ready for deployment, Tak Yeong-duck, Hyundai’s senior vice president of commercial vehicle R&D, expressed concerns that society may not yet be fully prepared for such vehicles.
“There are still improvements needed in terms of the charging infrastructure for pure electric vehicles,” Tak stated, as reported by Yonhap News. “Nevertheless, we have decided to launch the Elec City next year, as the government aims to enhance the number of charging stations in the upcoming years.
As pointed out by The Verge, the Elec City is priced almost twice as much as a comparable new diesel bus, but with consistent usage, the savings generated could offset the initial price difference.
The bus is set to make its debut in South Korea in 2018.
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