Seoul, April 21
Hyundai Motor said on Monday it has delivered five electric buses to the transportation unit of Japan's Iwasaki Group, marking its first commercial electric bus delivery in the neighbouring country.
The South Korean automaker held a delivery ceremony for the Elec City Town buses with Iwasaki Group in Yakushima, Kagoshima Prefecture. The units were delivered to Tanegashima-Yakushima Kotsu Co. under the Japanese group, reports Yonhap news agency.
The ceremony was attended by around 80 participants, including Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chairman Chang Jae-hoon, Toshiyuki Shimegi, head of Hyundai Mobility Japan Co., and Iwasaki Group President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Yoshitaro Iwasaki.
Chang highlighted the significance of Yakushima's environment for testing sustainable mobility solutions.
"Yakushima is the kind of special environment where the value of mobility solutions truly shines," he said. "We hope to present a model of coexistence between environment, technology and the local community."
Iwasaki expressed hope that the new electric buses would provide a new standard for the region's transport system.
"We want to make the Elec City Town the new standard for local transportation and achieve a balance between environmental preservation and revitalization of the local economy," he said.
Hyundai Motor signed a letter of intent with Iwasaki Group in July last year for the supply of the five medium-sized, low-floor Elec City Town electric buses.
Powered by a 145 kilowatt-hour battery (kWh) and a high-efficiency motor, the vehicles are suited to operate in the ecologically sensitive Yakushima region, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site known for its ancient cedar forests and diverse plant ecosystems, according to Hyundai Motor.
Kagoshima Prefecture has set a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and plans to transform Yakushima into a zero-emission island by transitioning vehicles on the island to electric or other carbon-free cars.
On the previous day, Hyundai Motor signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement with the local government to promote the use of EVs on the island. The agreement includes utilizing the vehicle-to-home function of the Elec City Town to supply power to evacuation centres and medical facilities during natural disaster emergencies.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is such a great step forward for sustainable transportation! Love seeing Asian automakers collaborating on EV solutions. The vehicle-to-home function for emergencies is brilliant ðŸ‘
As someone from Kagoshima, I'm excited but cautiously optimistic. The buses look great, but I hope they've considered our mountainous terrain and frequent rain. The real test will come during typhoon season.
Hyundai keeps impressing me with their EV tech. First the Ioniq lineup, now electric buses in Japan? They're really becoming a leader in sustainable mobility. Wonder when we'll see these in Europe!
The environmental focus is commendable, but I wish they'd shared more details about battery life and charging infrastructure. Yakushima's remote location could pose challenges for maintenance and repairs.
Beautiful synergy between environmental protection and technological advancement! The ancient cedar forests deserve this kind of thoughtful transportation solution 🌲⚡
As a Korean, I'm proud to see our companies making meaningful contributions to global sustainability. Hope this partnership inspires more cross-border EV collaborations!
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