Osan City Expands Eco-Friendly Transportation, Introducing Electric Buses and Charging Infrastructure

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Starting December 3rd, Osan City has begun operating six large low-floor electric buses on city bus routes.

The electric buses introduced by the city are Elecity buses manufactured by Hyundai Motor Company, equipped with 256kwh batteries that can travel up to 290km on a single charge.

The city plans to deploy the six electric buses on city bus route 202 (Osan Sindong-A~Suwon Gwanggyo Hoban Berdeeum A) and operate 92 runs daily.

The operation of electric buses is the second in southern Gyeonggi Province, following Suwon City. The city expects this to serve as a catalyst for expanding the adoption of electric buses in public transportation.

The city has also begun constructing eco-friendly fuel charging infrastructure. It has completed the installation of 16 electric bus charging facilities within the Dugok-dong bus depot, and is currently installing 2 natural gas (CNG) charging facilities.

Previously, there were no CNG charging facilities in the city, making it difficult to ensure stable fuel supply for CNG buses as they relied on charging facilities in other municipalities. The construction of this charging infrastructure has established a foundation for expanding CNG buses and electric buses that use eco-friendly fuel.

The city expects that through the construction of eco-friendly fuel charging infrastructure and low-emission bus operations, it will reduce fine dust, air pollution, and greenhouse gases caused by vehicle emissions, and provide high-quality service to citizens using public transportation with economic efficiency and safety.

Osan City Mayor Gwak Sang-wook said, "We plan to introduce an additional 10 electric low-floor buses next year and will gradually increase the number to actively pursue eco-friendly policies such as reducing air pollution through the government's Green New Deal project and the use of renewable energy."