First Electric Bus in Shiraz

Karmania — a local automaker and official representative of China’s BYD— has delivered the first all-electric bus manufactured by BYD to Shiraz Municipality.

Shiraz Mayor Alireza Pakfetrat said the bus will ply the roads on a one-month trial period to see “if it can adjust” to the city’s environmental and traffic conditions, the local automotive website Asbe Bokhar reported.

According to Karmania officials, the all-electric K9 buses will be put on the road in other major cities, namely Mashhad and Tehran, for test drives later this year.

The present model -- also called the BYD electric bus or BYD ebus -- is a fully electric, low-entry single-deck urban vehicle.

Its design incorporates large-capacity lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries and a full charge provides sufficient energy for over 150 kilometers—suitable for most urban bus commute.

It can run for over 250 kilometers with a 4-hour charge. A 20-minute fast charge can fill 65% of its batteries.

If the tests are successful, the BYD K9 will be imported.

Over the past couple of years, air pollution in major cities has reached dangerous levels with the government trying a variety of ways to counter the problem by encouraging automakers to invest in hybrid and eco-friendly vehicles.

Since 2015, when the first hybrid CNG buses joined the Tehran  public transport fleet, the government has increased efforts to promote green buses and taxis across urban areas in the country.