Malaysia’s Putrajaya and Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) have launched the Putra-NEDO EV bus project to replace buses fuelled by fossil fuels with a fleet of super-quick charge electric buses. The project involves an investment of JPY 3.6 billion over five years. NEDO is funding the project as part of its International Demonstration Project of Energy Consumption Efficiency Technology and System Demonstration. Eight single-deck buses branded “Nadiputra” were introduced on two 23 km circular routes in Putrajaya and Cyberjaya. It is planned that the fleet size will be increased to 13 buses by 2018. DRB-HICOM Defence Technologies Sdn Bhd has supplied the buses and Putrajaya Public Transport Travel and Tours operates them. The buses are equipped with Toshiba’s SCiB™ long-life lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. Chargers are installed at the bus terminal of Putrajaya Sentral station. IoT systems monitor battery temperature and status, and the electronic characteristics of the buses and chargers during operation. The project partners include Japanese companies Toshiba, PUES Corporation (provider of the electric-powered trains), HASETEC Corporation (provider of Super-Quick Chargers) and Oriental Consultants Global Company Limited (responsible for environmental and economic evaluation).
