January 26, 2009The TINDO

More Green Goodness: The World’s First Solar-Powered Electric Bus, The Tindo - check it.

Text Below comes is an excerpt from the March 2008 issue of Urban Land Magazine:

Adelaide, Australia, Unveils World’s First  Solar Electric Bus

In December, after eight years of work on the project, the Adelaide, Australia, city council introduced the world’s first solar-powered electric bus, Tindo—the Aboriginal name for sun. “Tindo is at the cutting edge of sustainable solar energy technology—using the power of the sun to drive a commuter transport vehicle which operates with zero tailpipe emissions and is also fully carbon neutral,” notes Adelaide Lord Mayor Michael Harbison. Tindo is recharged by a solar photovoltaic system located on the roof of the new Adelaide Central Bus Station. The A$550,000 (US$485,000) photovoltaic system, partly funded by the Adelaide city council and the Australian government through the Adelaide Solar City program, will generate almost 70,000 kilowatt-hours of zero-carbon-emissions electricity each year.

Unlike many battery electric buses, which have shorter operational ranges, the Tindo bus can run 124 miles (200 km) between charges under typical urban conditions. It is air conditioned and able to carry 27 passengers, with 25 standard seats and two spaces designed for disabled passengers. In addition, because it does not have a combustion engine, it is very quiet. The bus, designed and manufactured by Ashburton, New

Zealand–based Designline Interna- tional, runs seven days a week as a free service through the Adelaide city council’s free Adelaide Connector Bus system. For more information, visit www.adelaidecitycouncil.com/tindo.