Fadil Atallah, manager of ET’s Technical Development Department, said that the current distance travelled by the bus is 100 km (62 miles), and that is under harsh and optimum operating conditions, including maximum power operation of air conditioning systems and all other electronics. The distance travelled under normal operating conditions is 150 km (93 miles).

In order to provide the supporting infrastructure for the operation of the bus, Al Harmoudi said there will be two fully integrated bus power stations, one at a location of the manufacturer’s UAE partner, Al Naboodah Group Enterprises (ANGE), and the other at an Emirates Transport bus terminal, adding that the current system is capable of fully charging the bus batteries in just 4 hours.

Mohammed Abdullah Al Jarman, general manager of Emirates Transport, said that the bus will operate in accordance with the specifications and regulations of school transport enforced in the country, pointing out that the application of these specifications represented the largest challenge during the manufacturing phase during which specialists from ET conducted three field visits to the factory floor in China, to inspect the production line to ensure the application of all applicable specifications.

Technicians and specialists from Sunwin also visited the UAE to assess how the country’s climate and other conditions may impact on the performance of the bus.

The general manager of Emirates Transport stated that, in addition to the usual structural safety tests, the bus underwent operational tests for three months, followed by several preliminary operational tests in the UAE, adding that the series of tests will be concluded during the coming period under climatic and operational conditions similar to the usual conditions during the school year.