GOLDEN DRAGON ELECTRIC BUS IS UNVEILED AT BUSWORLD CENTRAL ASIA 2019. ELECTRIC BUSES FOR KAZAKHSTAN
A low-floor electric bus of Golden Dragon has been unveiled at the International Busworld Central Asia 2019 exhibition in Almaty. Astana Motors will assemble this bus in Kazakhstan.
The model range of Golden Dragon buses meets all modern needs of the city. The price of Golden Dragon buses starts from 32 million tenge that makes them more attractive pricewise in comparison with similar buses represented in Kazakhstan. It is possible to purchase buses for leasing under the ongoing state program of preferential loans for the purchase of commercial vehicles through the Development Bank of Kazakhstan. DBK-Leasing JSC provides financial leasing services for a term of seven years with an interest rate of 7% per annum in tenge with down payment of 15% of the contract value. The purpose of the program is to renew the bus depots of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The model presented at Busworld is a low-floor electric bus with a length of 12 m. Golden Dragon electric buses have long proved effective in the passenger transportation market in China where they are already used in many cities. Golden Dragon applies the latest developments in the production and operation of electric buses.
This model has the latest type of the batteries: lithium-titanate batteries. Their main unique features are light weight, larger energy storage capacity compared with other types of batteries, and faster time of recharging - the battery is fully charged within four hours and sufficient for 350 km. Golden Dragon has applied in this model of the bus not only passive protection of batteries but also active protection against rapid change of temperature that is especially important for Kazakhstan with its extreme continental climate. As it is known, namely high and low temperatures are the main factors influencing upon reduction of the service life of the battery that directly affects the price of the bus.
In order to give more information about the advantages of Golden Dragon buses, which include gas and diesel-driven buses in addition to electric ones, Astana Motors has launched a test drive program. The bus depots throughout the country have the opportunity to take a bus for a test drive during a certain period of time without purchasing it and without any other charges within the framework of this program. Based on the results of the test drives, they can further consider the possibility of purchasing suitable buses for intra-city routes. The company also intends to offer various service options to customers and bus depots. These options include a mobile service when technical specialists of the company will provide services outside working hours in the bus depots and on the road in case of a breakdown during a trip.
Starting from July this year, assembly of buses has been arranged at the production facilities of Astana Motors. Complex technological operations such as welding and painting will be added later. One of the major competitive advantages of these buses is the use of a monocoque technology (a whole-body frame) and a method of cathode electro-coating in production of all models of Golden Dragon buses. This complex bodywork process is based on successive dipping of a bus body into the tanks with different chemicals. The result of this process is a continuous and hard insulating film on a whole body of the bus.
The bus has already been tested in Aktobe, Petropavlovsk, and Kokshetau by now. The company has concluded the contracts to deliver buses in Almaty. Negotiations are also underway in Shymkent, Turkestan, Petropavlovsk, Nur-Sultan, Aktobe, Taldykorgan, Uralsk, and Mangistau region. It is intended to export buses to the neighboring countries.
