The first batch of eco-friendly electric buses arrived in Qatar on 29 June 2021. On the same day, H.E. Mr. Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti, Minister of Transport and Communications, inaugurated the pilot operation of the electric bus charging stations too.

Electrifying News ⚡️:
HE Mr. Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti, Minister of Transport and Communications, inaugurated the pilot operation of our electric bus charging stations, which comes with the arrival of the first batch of eco-friendly electric buses to Qatar!@MOTC_QA pic.twitter.com/44rLTb5z9E

— Mowasalat Qatar (@Mowasalat_QAT) June 29, 2021

H.E. Mr. Jassim bin Saif Al-Sulaiti, Minister of Transport and Communications, inaugurated the pilot operation of Mowasalat (Karwa)’s electric bus charging station, in the presence of H.E. Mr. Hassan Abdulla Al-Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, H.E. Dr. Eng. Saad bin Ahmed Al-Muhannadi, President of the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) and Mowasalat (Karwa) Chairman, H.E. Eng. Essa bin Hilal Al-Kuwari, President of Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa), H.E. Mr. Zhou Jian, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the State of Qatar, and a number of officials and representatives of private sector companies.

The inauguration comes with the arrival of the first batch of eco-friendly and quiet buses, which will be used by Mowasalat (Karwa) within its transport system. It complements the electric vehicles strategy prepared by the Ministry of Transport and Communications in collaboration with the concerned authorities, which aims to support the State's progress towards a green future. Achieving economic and environmental balance ensures the sustainability of transportation infrastructure projects, as well as the development of transportation through the use of alternative and clean energy in accordance with the latest global eco-friendly systems to reduce harmful carbon emissions, providing a clean, healthy and safe environment for future generations.

These developments come as Mowasalat (Karwa), under the supervision of the Ministry of Transport and Communication, leads the way for the roll-out of electric infrastructure to cater to the public fleet requirements and the expected rise in electric vehicle demand.

As per Mowasalat:

• There are 741 electrical buses.
• Customized to meet the local weather conditions as well as the public transport operations
• Qatar is a pioneer in the e-buses business, and there are no standards for electric buses within the region. The ordered buses and charging sockets are complying with European standards in terms of safety.
  • The battery of the buses:
    Technology and size are customized to meet the needs of the public transport operations.
  • The battery size of the transit bus is 350 KWH, which provides a range around 200+ km, when fully charged overnight.
  • The battery size of the coaches is 422 KWH, which provides 230+ km, when fully charged overnight.
  • The most important safety factor is the battery chemistry where we chose a lithium iron phosphate battery, which is considered as the safest technology in hot environment.
  • Another safety factor is that the batteries come with an efficient liquid cooling system that cools down the batteries’ temperature even when the buses are parked and not operating.

• All buses are equipped with high-tech information technology devices that sense any abnormalities during operations.
• AC capacity is customized to the local weather conditions.
• All compartments are equipped with a high quality insulation material.
• The doors are equipped with air curtains that maintain the cold air circulation when doors are open.

Mowasalat (Karwa) invests heavily to reduce carbon emissions from its conventional fleet, improving the quality of Qatar's climate and supporting Qatar’s transition away from a hydrocarbon-based economy towards a greener future.

RELATED:

• 25% of public transit buses will be electric by 2022: MOTC
• Ashghal to install hundreds of chargers, inverters at 41 charging stations for electric buses

Source: Press Release
Cover image source: Mowasalat

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