We love buses, and it seems the world does too. We did a little digging on some of the world’s most unusual buses, and what we found surprised us. China’s Transit Elevated Bus The Transit Elevated Bus, or so it was known to the world, garnered internet fame last year when a Chinese tech company, TEB Technology Development, propositioned the idea as a solution to China’s congested traffic problem. A prototype was created and posted on YouTube in a video that shocked and awed spectators. The bus’s design made it look as if it was swallowing other vehicles on… Read more »
The vintage California throwback style of Volkswagen’s minibus is making a comeback in a big way. The bus, named ”I.D. Buzz”, which made its debut at the Detroit auto show this past January, is revving up excitement among automobile collectors and fans, as photos of its new futuristic design are being leaked on the internet. In commenting on the microbus’ revamped concept, Dr. Herbert Diess, Chairman of the Board of Management for Volkswagen said: “Our goal is clear: we want to make the fully electric, fully connected car a bestseller around the world. The iconic car of the electric age… Read more »
Chinese transit systems will be getting an expensive facelift as internet search provider Baidu plans to fully integrate the country’s first autonomous passenger bus in 2021, and hopefully in 2018, have one out on the road. The bus itself will follow a predetermined route, but in which city it will be traveling remains a mystery. Baidu has partnered with BAIC Motor Corp. to work out the kinks in these details and ensure that the bus safely makes it from point A to point B. The project of course doesn’t come without price; it’s been reported that the company has spent… Read more »
Self-driving vehicles could soon make our commutes a whole lot easier, but their benefits don’t end there. In the future, autonomous vehicles could offer elderly people an added measure of mobility as well. In Japan, where roughly a quarter of the country’s total population is over the age of 65, senior mobility has become an especially important issue in recent years. In some rural parts of Japan, more than half of the population is over 65. Now, in an effort to ensure its elderly citizens are able to access medical, banking and retail services, Japan is launching a trial program… Read more »
Researchers have spent the last few decades testing out all kinds of different sustainable vehicle fuels. Their goal has been to try and find potential replacements for gasoline that are both better for the environment and cheaper to use in cars, trucks, buses and other vehicles. It has been a real challenge to find viable alternative fuel sources, but there have been some encouraging signs, especially in recent years, that have given hope to those researchers who have devoted their professional lives to finding these innovative new fuels. In early July, a group of engineering students from the Eindhoven University… Read more »
Catching a bus in the city of London isn’t terribly difficult right now, but it’s going to get even easier in the coming weeks and months. London Mayor Sadiq Khan wants to make the city’s buses as simple to use as the London Underground, the city’s subway system, so he has called on Transport for London to give the bus system a makeover. Soon, individual bus lines in the eastern part of London will each get their own color and corresponding signage throughout the city. This will help those who use specific bus lines to tell which one is theirs… Read more »
If you take public transit to get where you need to go, you know the awful feeling of swiping your metro card and running full speed into the turnstile. Ouch! So we’ve been wondering, should transit services across the country get rid of these pesky turnstiles? The main reason that turnstiles and other forms of payment proof exist is to prevent people from stealing a ride on their city’s public transit. Most transit authorities refer to those who jump the turnstiles as “fare evaders.” According to the NY Daily News, in New York City in 2013, almost 25,000 people were… Read more »
Thanks to companies like Proterra, electric buses have evolved beyond the prototyping phase of development, and are now being used by municipal transit services in a number of major cities. Soon, they may even be coming to a school district near you. In Southern California, the South Coast Air Quality Management District recently approved the purchase of 33 electric school buses for $8.8 million in a unanimous decision. The buses offer a range of at least 60 miles per charge, and cost roughly $250,000 each. These zero-emission buses will be distributed to 18 school districts throughout the Greater Los Angeles… Read more »
Last year, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada released a smartphone app called rideRTC that allows riders to purchase tickets digitally and easily find bus routes to locations throughout Las Vegas. The app was designed to make it easier for visitors to find their way around the city, and eliminate barriers that might dissuade people from using public transportation. In addition to helping people plan their bus rides, rideRTC can also connect people with ridesharing services and find RTC Bike Share locations around Las Vegas. Now, less than 10 months after the app was released, the RTC has revealed… Read more »
There are a number of bus manufacturers that are currently working on electric buses that will be able to travel for hundreds of miles at a time on a single charge. One of these companies is the Korean automaker Hyundai, which is planning on unveiling the Elec City bus in 2018. The Elec City bus is going to be the very first mass-produced electric bus produced by Hyundai, and it sounds like it’s going to have some exciting features. The Elec City bus will rely on a 256kWh battery pack that will allow for it to go for up to… Read more »
