MINSK, 16 November (BelTA) – The electric bus E433 Vitovt Max Electro made by the Belarusian company Belkommunmash is being trialed in Saint Petersburg, Russia, BelTA has learned.

Interest in innovative transport solutions, which are not tied to overhead power lines, is growing stronger in Russia. Saint Petersburg is no exception. The Saint Petersburg government has been shifting focus onto environmentally friendly transportation for the last few years. The city government intends to call a tender for acquiring electric buses soon. Solutions from different producers are being evaluated. The Belarusian electric bus was one of the first products to arrive in Saint Petersburg for trial runs. It went into service in the city's Primorsky District on 3 November.

The trial runs will last for six months. Saint Petersburg residents will be able to appreciate advantages of the Belarusian bus in this period. The bus can carry 153 people at a time. The capacity is handy for managing passenger traffic in a metropolis. There is space for wheelchair users with fastening systems and a system for notifying the bus driver. The bus can lower its entrance floor as it approaches a bus stop. The electric bus generates almost zero noise on the move. Passengers can charge their mobile phones meanwhile since the bus is fitted with power sockets and USB sockets.

Belkommunmash will ship another 25 vehicles of the 32100D model to Saint Petersburg by the end of the year. Those are trolleybuses with an increased autonomous range (up to 15km), which can draw power from overhead lines or from their onboard batteries. The feature will allow connecting new areas of the city where no overhead lines for transport are available with the old areas without greatly polluting the environment.