Hyundai launches Korea’s first eco-friendly CNG hybrid bus- Blue-City
Hyundai unveiled Korea’s first CNG hybrid bus, Blue-City, demonstrating its technological leadership in the field of eco-friendly vehicles. Blue-City, fully developed in Korea, is Hyundai’s latest eco-friendly model that delivers better fuel efficiency with lower emissions by using a CNG engine and an electric motor. The hybrid bus is equipped with a G-CNG Engine that offers 177kW (240ps) and a 6-speed automated manual transmission, while its 60kW (82ps) highly-efficient electric motor and 3.8kWh lithium-polymer battery enable safe driving and efficient charging. Despite cutting down the total number of fuel tanks to five from seven (total capacity of 770ℓ), Blue-City can still operate 340km on a single charge, which is equivalent to the existing CNG bus.
The fuel efficiency of ‘Blue-City’ is about 30-40 percent higher than that of normal CNG buses, enabling metro bus operators to save costs. In terms of CO2 emissions, the CNG hybrid bus emits over 24 percent less CO2 (equivalent to about 33 tons per year/vehicle) than a conventional CNG bus and 35 percent less than a diesel bus. Hyundai will operate 30 test units of Blue-City in selected metropolitan areas in Korea from July, with plans to mass produce the vehicles in 2012.
