Travel free for a week in Budapest touching the Chain Bridge, Normafa – PHOTOS

The bus of the future is being tested in Budapest. You will have the chance to travel for free on the route of the e210 line, between Normafa in the 12th district and the Gyöngyösi Street Metro Station in the 13th district. The bus also crosses the Chain Bridge, Budapest’s iconic archway over the Danube. The illustrious bridge was built almost 200 years ago and is currently under renovation.

Travel for free in Budapest touching iconic landmarks

According to Szeretlek Magyarország, bus number e210 is free of charge for every passenger until 18 May. That is the test period of Budapest’s brand-new electric bus. The Mercedes-Benz eCitaro is one of the most innovative electric vehicles in the world designed for public transport service in large metropolitan cities.

The bus circulates now as an extra service, beyond the timetable of bus Nr 210. Do you wonder when and where you can catch the bus? You can check out its schedule and itinerary in real-time with the help of the BudapestGo application.

The bus is being tested on the 210 route whether it can meet all the requirements in Budapest. That means the 13th district, where the daily traffic is average in the city. Leaving the inner district, the bus heads towards the hilly Buda suburbs. However, prior to reaching the picturesque outskirts of the capital, it also crosses the Chain Bridge via the densely populated downtown. As a result, experts can gain important data about the performance of the electric bus. Below you can check out some photos:

Hungary follows suit after German success

Szmo.hu reports that German producers designed the new eCitaro to provide reliable service under different operation circumstances. Its motor’s peak performance is 250 kW, while its batteries have a 590 kWh capacity. During the development of the vehicle, the company successfully tested the buses both in Arctic temperatures and in the Spanish heat. It can run 250 kilometres with one charge, but optimal circumstances (temperature, traffic, etc.) can extend that length. In Berlin and Hamburg, the vehicles performed so exceptionally that they entirely dominate German roads now.

The municipality of Budapest places great emphases on operating modern, environment-friendly vehicles in the capital. Therefore, they opt for buying zero-emission trams, trolleys and buses. However, the capital does not have sufficient resources for such purchases, so they have to rely on the financial support of the European Union and the Hungarian government. The current tests were financed by Hungary’s energy ministry.