On February 24, 2021, Kansai Electric Power (KEPCO, Headquarters: Osaka City, Osaka Pref.); Keihan Bus, which provides transportation services in the Kansai Region around Osaka and Kyoto (Headquarters: Kyoto); and electric automobile manufacturer BYD (Headquarters: Shenzhen, China) announced that they have reached an agreement on the expansion of electric bus fleets in the Kyoto region.
As part of the first step of the agreement, Keihan Bus, KEPCO, and BYD will deploy four electric buses on a circulating route that connects Kyoto Station, Keihan Railway Shichijo Station, and Umekoji/Hotel Emion Kyoto Station. Through this demonstration project, KEPCO will test and assess an energy management solution for the optimal charging and discharging process for electric buses. BYD will provide the electric buses and driving performance data to validate the optimal operation of the electric buses.
Keihan Bus will become the first Japanese bus company to electrify and operate all of the buses that serve a specific route. In the future, it plans to expand its electric bus fleets into other routes. Keihan Bus will also consider introducing autonomous electric buses, as well as developing a business continuity plan that will utilize electric buses’ storage batteries in an emergency situation. KEPCO, Keihan Bus and BYD will continue their efforts to promote the expansion of electric bus fleets and to contribute towards a decarbonized society.[1]