Note: These two are the pilot phase, there are plans to put 1,200 of these buses to use and also develop an assembly line for their production.
This will also work well in this era of subsidy removal
Personally, I will advise the Lagos State Government to look towards Solar systems for the charging of these buses. It will increase the whole point
On Thursday, April 28, 2022, OCEL and LAMATA, had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enable the successful deployment of an Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Ecosystem (electric buses, charging stations, and other supporting infrastructure) towards the attainment of a sustainable road transport system in the state.
It pointed out that, “the company’s strategic vision is to decarbonise the transport system in Nigeria and in the process, strengthen the socio-economic impact of transportation within the country.
“Over the next seven years, and through the rollout of over 12,000 buses, this initiative will transition the current combustion mass transit buses to electric, starting in Lagos State and eventually across the country.
I am excited to announce the first set of electric buses in the Lagos Mass Transit Master Plan as part of our increased effort to modernise every sector of Lagos. Thanks to our partnership with @Oando_PLC, Lagosians can expect a cleaner and greener public transportation system.
With the ability to travel 280km at full charge, taking into account our unique travel times in Lagos, our electric buses are a game-changer. With an average daily usage of 200km by existing BRTs, there is no need to fear that the buses can stop while in transit.
Our new electric buses will not only reduce carbon emissions but will also increase efficiencyPROJECT AIM: This is a commitment of both LASG and Oando to cut down greenhouse gases by replacing it with cleaner sources of energy. This initiative will accelerate the Government Transportation Agenda and positively impact the health of Lagosians and the environment in general.
PILOT SCHEME: This initiative is still at the Pilot Stage, a lot of data gathering will still be done in comparison with the existing BRT system, this means few electric buses will be added to the BRT fleet, it will carry passengers normally, use BRT Lane, Cowry card etc.
CHARGING: The MoU signed with Oando shows they will provide charging stations & other supporting infrastructure. There will be charging stations at the LBSL Facility to charge these first set while there are plans to strategically place Universal Chargers at public places.
MAINTENANCE: As Stated earlier, the buses being used for this Pilot Scheme will be moving from the normal Facility where BRTs are maintained, only basic maintenance will be needed (tyre change etc), the vehicle has no radiator or regular engines like the normal BRT bus.
FUTURE: Once the Pilot Scheme shows all the positive signs as expected, asides from bringing more buses into the fleet of the regular BRTs, there are plans to establish an Assembly Plant for Electric Buses in future in this our Lagos State.