Electric buses in BB Centrum transported more than one million passengers

The Czech SOR brand electric buses on the regular BB1 and BB2 routes in Prague’s BB Centrum have transported more than one million passengers. The lines connect the multifunctional BB Centrum complex and the Budějovická metro station and the electric buses have travelled almost 70 thousand kilometres since February of last year. The operation of the electric buses in Prague’s mass transit system is a joint project of the development and investment company PASSERINVEST GROUP, the ČEZ Group and the ARRIVA transportation company, which aims at contributing to an improved environment and lower traffic noise in BB Centrum and its environs.

The operation of the two SOR EBN 9.5 electric buses on the free BB1 and BB2 routes was launched in February 2016. As of today they have transported more than one million passengers and travelled over 70 thousand kilometres over the course of its constant operations. The electric buses are very quiet and there is even a free Wi-Fi connection available. Each day one electric bus travels 100 km on average and transports about 1800 passengers during 50 journeys.

“Last year we performed a survey among the employees of the companies based in BB Centrum, which is primarily used as feedback as well as inspiration for improvements. The survey showed great satisfaction with traffic accessibility. The shuttle routes from the Budějovická metro on the C line were used by about 45% of those surveyed and more than half strongly welcomed the introduction of the electric buses into operation. There primarily were positive evaluations of their quiet running, clean surroundings and environmental friendliness,” stated Radim Passer, the founder and CEO of PASSERINVEST GROUP.

“We are pleased by both the public’s great interest in electric buses in Prague 4 as well as the fact that we can promote electric buses right where our company is based, thereby setting an example for other companies. It is a logical part of our activities in the area of the development of clean mobility where, for more than 7 years, we have been deliberately creating conditions for the growth of the share of electric drive in individual and public traffic in the Czech Republic. Not only do we momentarily offer more than 85 public recharging points, 35 of which are fast recharging points, but also several related services,” stated Kamil Čermák, the General Director of ČEZ ESCO.

“Both of the electric buses have travelled a total of 70 865. They travel between BB Centrum and the Budějovicka metro every week day from morning until evening. We have been pleasantly surprised by their reliability and the battery life, and we cannot complain about anything in the least. Getting these buses for these routes, which take hundreds of visitors to BB Centrum every day, was definitely the right decision,” stated the General Director of Arriva, Daniel Adamka.

According to the Memorandum and Action Plan on the future of the automotive industry in the Czech Republic, electric mobility and digitalisation are two of the cornerstones of the local automobile trade. The Memorandum was recently signed by representatives of the Czech government and the AutoSAP association (with the participation of the ČEZ Group).

Did you know that…

• the batteries with 180 lithium-ion cells have a total capacity of 172 kWh, which corresponds to the average daily consumption of 25 Czech households?
• last year it took the Temelín nuclear power plan less than half a second to charge the batteries of one electric bus to full capacity?
• after a full day of operations the electric buses from the Budějovická – BB Centrum routes once again have full batteries (when recharging 3 × 400 V/32 A) in 6 hours?
• if the full capacity of 73 passengers is used, one electric bus is capable of transporting more than 3600 passengers a day?
• Wi-Fi coverage in the electric buses at Brumlovka is a matter of course.