Turkey Immediately Operates Domestic Electric Buses: 80 Kilometers Travel Distance, Only 15 Minutes Of Charging

Illustration of electric bus in Turkey. (Wikimedia Commons/Satirdan kahraman)

JAKARTA - A new domestically developed electric bus will be launched in Turkey's Samsun Province, the latest effort by the country to curb carbon emissions and achieve savings.

Co-produced by leading electronics companies Aselsan and TEMSAN, the vehicles will carry their first passengers during the upcoming major event in the northern city.

One of the advantages of this vehicle is that, with only 15 minutes of charging, the bus can run on lithium batteries with Turkey's first domestic ultra-charging system.

They will be in charge of the transportation of visitors on the sidelines of 'Teknofest', Turkey's largest aerospace and technology event, which will be held at Samsun from August 30 to September 4.

The Black Sea province is known for its heavy traffic. Samsun Mayor Mustafa Demir said the city was among the provinces where public transport was proving very important.

"Even though we are building a rail system, we are not able to provide the necessary convenience in the city, especially in public transport. The rail system currently operates on a single line. So our trams run at full capacity. We cannot increase the number of trams," Demir explained. Daily Sabah August 19th.

"Therefore, the electric buses that we issue are in accordance with the transportation master plan that we have prepared," he said.

About 10 buses have arrived at Samsun so far, with five more to arrive in the next five days, Demir said.

"For the first time in Turkey, electric buses using lithium batteries with a domestic ultra-charging system will be used at Samsun. The test drive has been completed, and we will commission it with Teknofest," added the mayor.

This electric bus can cover a distance of 80 kilometers (50 miles) on a 15-minute charge.

"We could cover a distance of 300-400 kilometers by changing the battery system, but when we did a cost calculation, we decided that this bus was the most optimal," said Demir.