In the bitterly cold Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, Yutong E18PRO battery electric bus met a severe challenge. The test has proved that the e-bus is capable of operating under extremely cold conditions

Challenge process

On January 21, 2024, Yutong and the No.1 Bus Company of Astana challenged the driving range of E18PRO in Kazakhstan. In the test, the bus started with SOC of 100% and heating inside turned on for the whole process to pick up and drop passengers normally at stations, and the test ended when SOC reached 5%. Finally, the driving range of 374 km was achieved after 16 hours of operation at -25°C.

During the test, the vehicle entered the station over 350 times and carried more than 1,500 passengers. The temperature inside the vehicle was always kept between 18°C-22°C, providing a warm and comfortable riding environment for passengers, which was unanimously praised by citizens.

Secrets for Successful E18PRO Challenge

The bus adopts the most advanced battery, motor and electric control technologies of Yutong. The battery liquid heating system can provide a better working temperature for lithium iron phosphate batteries to ensure excellent driving range of e-bus even in extremely cold conditions. At the same time, Yutong has developed customized control strategies for extremely cold operation scenarios based on its experience in operating 180,000 new energy commercial vehicles worldwide which is also critical for low power consumption of E18PRO. The riding experience is also very important. The bus adopts the heating mode of heat pump air conditioner + heater, which effectively improves the interior heating efficiency and reduces battery consumption.

Under the trend of global public transport electrification, the safety, reliability, driving range and energy supplement of battery electric products in various extreme environments are still concerns of the industry and the public. Yutong, as the global leader of new energy buses, hopes to change their impressions on the poor operation effect of e-buses in winter through this test, and provide a new direction for the electrification of global public transport.

The challenge of Yutong battery electric bus is still going on. We will see the next stop, Norway.