Russia may not be thought of as an EV hotspot, but it appears that Moscow boasts the most charged bus system in Europe—the capital’s transit fleet includes 600 battery-electric buses, and that number is slated to increase to 1,000 vehicles by the end of the year.

Most of the batteries and propulsion equipment for the city’s electric buses are made by Russian engineering company Drive Electro, which has manufactured components for 400 of the city’s electric vehicles, and will supply batteries for 200 more this year.

Drive Electro’s battery packs, which use lithium titanate batteries, give the electric buses a range of 350-400 km, and a recharging time of 6-20 minutes. Moscow’s buses are designed to operate smoothly at extremely low or high temperatures.

In addition to manufacturing and supplying components, Drive Electro has been responsible for maintenance of the buses’ propulsion equipment and batteries since the launch of the first model in 2019.

Drive Electro has plans to expand its manufacturing facilities. In the first quarter of 2022, it hopes to open its own plant to manufacture batteries for e-buses and to set up serial production of electric trucks. The company will invest the equivalent of $5.2 million in the plant, which will have a capacity of 1,000 battery sets and 500 electric trucks per year.

In late 2020, Drive Electro delivered an electric truck called the Moskva to the retail network Magnit for trial operation. If the trial is successful, Drive Electro plans to produce 200 more electric trucks for Magnit at its own plant.

Source: Green Car Congress