Energy Efficiency, GHG Emissions  -  February 26, 2021

The City of Kyoto to install Japan’s first pure electric bus loop line

The City of Kyoto, Japan plans to electrify buses on its famous sightseeing line as part of a five-year demonstration operation to further promote pure electric public transportation in an effort to achieve the country’s carbon neutrality goal by 2050. This will be Japan’s first loop line operated solely by electric buses. 

Beginning in 2021, Keihan Bus and Kansai Electric Power will launch the first batch of four BYD J6 buses on Kyoto’s line. By analyzing vehicle operating data and energy-saving results, the project will provide useful experience to support Keihan Bus’s plan to continue introducing BYD K8 pure electric buses and gradually realize a green and carbon-free society in the Kansai region, one of Japan’s key economic and industrial hubs.

The deal is an effort to achieve the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s plan to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles in the mid-2030s. Kansai Electric Power, the second-largest electric power company in Japan, will not only build charging piles and other facilities for the project but also construct a highly efficient energy management system, as well as analyze and research operating data.

“Kyoto Station is the gateway to Kyoto. The introduction of electric buses in the city is an important step for us to move towards a decarbonized society,” Kenichi Fujino, Assistant General Manager of Sales and Marketing Division of Kansai Electric Power, said in a statement. “We will fully cooperate with Kyoto to introduce pure electric buses and support subsequent operations.”