Hyundai launches Elec City Town electric bus in Japan

Two years after launching the Ioniq 5 as its first electric car in Japan, Hyundai has entered the electric bus segment. The company has introduced the Elec City Town in the country.

The Elec City Town is a medium-sized electric bus measuring 8,995 mm in length, 2,490 mm in width, and 3,400 mm in height. It has a 4,420 mm wheelbase and a 7.6 m turning radius. With a gradability of 25%, it will likely tackle Japan’s hilly roads decently. The 9-metre electric bus accommodates 55 people. That includes the driver and 54 passengers, 18 on the seats and 36 standing.

Hyundai uses a 145 kWh battery pack in the Elec City Town and says it can deliver a range of 233 km at a constant speed of 60 kph or 330 km at a constant speed of 30 kph. The bus can fast-charge at 90 kW using CHAdeMO. As for the motor, the manufacturer opted for a ZF-sourced 160 kW unit, which gives the electric bus a top speed of 80 kph.

The Elec City Town features a modern exterior with sleek daytime running lights and high-mount lights (front and rear), projector headlights, heated mirrors, and semi-flush side windows. Hyundai also equips the electric bus with an air purifier on the inside, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a four-spoke multifunction steering wheel with heating, a multi-function driver seat, and a large touchscreen infotainment system. Both screens seem to feature the connected car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) OS, which Hyundai uses in its latest passenger cars.

The Elec City Town also offers several advanced safety features. These include door sensors, rear parking sensors, Driver State Warning (DSW), Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC), and Emergency Driving Stop System (EDSS). According to Nikkei, the Elec City Town supports vehicle-to-home (V2H) bidirectional charging, allowing customers to power a home using the energy stored in its battery pack.

Hyundai has started accepting orders for the Elec City Town in Japan. On the launch day, it signed an agreement to sell five units to Iwasaki Group. The Japanese company will deploy these electric buses on Yakushima Island. Hyundai said it aims to replace all the buses and taxis on the island with zero-emission vehicles.

Hyundai plans to offer Elec City Town telematics services using OBD2 (On-Bord-Diagnose) connectors to ease vehicle management. Additionally, it is creating a local parts inventory, intending to achieve a next-day delivery rate of 95% or higher.

hyundai.com (launch details in Japanese), hyundai.com (agreement details in Japanese), nikkei.com (in Japanese)