VinBus Ecology Transport Services Company (VinBus), a subsidiary of Vietnam's Vingroup, officially launched the country's first electric bus fleet in Hanoi on Thursday as part of its partnership with the local Department of Transport.

VinBus plans to run 48 e-buses on three routes in December.

The first e-bus route is Route E03, which links Vinhomes Ocean Park with My Dinh Bus Station.

The next two routes to open will be Route E05 between Long Bien District and Smart City and Route E01 from My Dinh to Vinhomes Ocean Park.

VinBus’s smart e-bus routes were selected in order to link densely populated areas with public facilities, such as schools, bus stations, urban areas, and amusement parks.

The e-buses will run on the routes from 5:00 am to 9:00 pm, departing every 15-20 minutes.

The fare for a single ride on an e-bus route ranges from VND7,000 (US$0.31) to VND9,000 ($0.40), while monthly ticket packages cost VND55,000-VND200,000 ($2.42-8.8).

VinBus has plans to eventually allow passengers to register for monthly ticket packages online and through mobile applications. In the meantime, passengers can pay directly with a chip card upon boarding an e-bus.

At the opening ceremony held for the bus route on Thursday, Nguyen Manh Quyen, deputy chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee, spoke highly of Vinbus’s pioneering role in launching the city’s smart e-bus service and its importance in introducing ‘green’ public transportation to the capital city.

Quyen also suggested that the Hanoi Department of Transport support VinBus in ensuring affordable fares in order to help Hanoi’s residents have access to environmentally friendly and safe public transport.

VinGroup's vice-chairman Le Khac Hiep emphasized that the private conglomerate’s goal is to engage the community in VinBus’s non-profit model of public transportation while reinvigorating the city’s atmosphere.  

“We plan to expand our service in 2022 so that the city’s public transport system is better connected and customers are given a high-class, hospitable, and safe service,” Hiep said.

Each VinBus e-bus runs on a 281 kWh battery that lasts for 220 to 260 kilometers. 

The vehicles can be charged in just two hours using VinBus’s 150kW fast-charging station system, which uses technology provided by StarCharge.

Buses are equipped with an automatic system that controls driver behavior and warns of dangers, an electronic board which announces upcoming stops, free Wi-Fi, USB charging ports, an entertainment monitor, a security camera system, and an itinerary control device.

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