NUR-SULTAN, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- The city administration of the Kazakh capital Nur-Sultan will purchase 100 new electric buses jointly developed by Chinese and Kazakh vehicle makers, local media reported on Sunday.
The capital will introduce its first fleet of 100 electric buses by the end of this year, said Altai Kulginov, the city's mayor, adding that this is only the beginning as the city of one million people aims to reduce its bus deficit and curb air pollution.
The buses are developed by Chinese bus-maker Yutong and Kazakhstan-based vehicle manufacturer and distributor Saryarka AvtoProm.
The 12-meter-long all-electric buses, with 30 seats each, can travel up to 350 km before recharging their batteries.
"The battery design allows charging it only once a day, at night," and the battery is expected to last 10 years, said Roman Krivopalenko, an electric vehicle project coordinator at Saryarka AvtoProm.
The buses can withstand the chilly winter of Nur-Sultan, as they have passed the trial operation test at a temperature of minus 38 degrees Celsius.
They are equipped with electronic fare payment systems, video surveillance, intelligent battery management systems, as well as USB ports so that passengers' mobile devices can be charged.
Kazakhstan is gearing up to make its public transportation go green. About 700 electric buses have been gliding on the roads across the largest country in Central Asia.
