Hotline of power engineering specialists:
A prototype electric bus, which arrived from the factory in the city of Engels, made its first route through the streets of Yaroslavl. A subsidiary of "Russian Grids" - IDGC of Centre in advance installed charging stations for a new environmentally friendly means of transport.
The first Yaroslavl passengers of the electric bus became Deputy Governor of the Yaroslavl region Natalia Shaposhnikova, managers of IDGC of Centre - Yarenergo division, the manufacturer's representatives and journalists. From the trolley park they drove to the street of Ukhtomsky, where at one of the charging stations located there, the electric bus battery charging was demonstrated.
The charging stations were installed by the power engineers this summer as part of the agreement between JSC "Russian Grids" and the administration of Yaroslavl on the development in the city of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. Its aim is to improve public transport services, creating conditions for the implementation of measures for energy conservation and environmental quality enhancement of the Yaroslavl region, as well as implementation of innovative technologies in the field of passenger transport.
The electric bus route will pass through the historic centre of the city - in the area of UNESCO, which is limited to the usual transport. As conceived by the regional government both tourist groups and residents of nearby houses will be able to use it.
First Deputy General Director for Technical Policy of JSC "Russian Grids" Roman Berdnikov, commenting on the event, said that despite the changing economic realities, "Russian Grids" will continue to develop charging infrastructure for electric transport in the Russian regions. "Russian Grids will not rest on their laurels - in this project, we see great economic potential for the Russian energy sector. The adoption by the Government of the Russian Federation of a comprehensive action plan for the development of environmentally friendly transport, which included our proposals with regard to the charging infrastructure, confirms the correctness of the chosen direction by "Russian Grids". Today we in cooperation with automakers continue our active work on the development of this market," stressed Roman Berdnikov.
Trial operation of the electric bus will start immediately after the final approval of the route. Following the first public transport running from the contactless power, other electric vehicles will appear in the city as well. Their first samples in the near future will be bought by "Yarenergo" for the production needs of the company. And new charging stations will gradually emerge. In the long run electric buses will appear in the main tourist centres of the Yaroslavl region: Rybinsk, Pereslavl and Uglich.
According to Director of "Yarenergo" Konstantin Kotikov: "To ensure the operation of the first electric bus, we installed two charging stations at the terminal points of its route. We plan to purchase several electric vehicles for own needs of Yarenergo and another station is installed at our site - at the North substation. IDGC of Centre is ready to provide the charging infrastructure for any number of electric vehicles across the Yaroslavl region."