The Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) Hybrid Electric Road Train will hit the road at the Clark Airbase in Angeles City, Pampangathis September for road worthiness tests before rolling out in Metro Manila’s major highways.
Designed by Filipino engineers and made with locally available parts, the 40-meter long train-like bus is an alternative means of transportation and one of DOST’s answer to the mass transportation dilemma in metro roads.
The road train is composed of four interconnected fully air-conditioned coaches that can accommodate 60 passengers per coach for a total of 240 commuters per ride.
DOST Secretary Mario G. Montejo estimates that the road train can serve 650,000 commuters when fully implemented. “This will happen after its testing phase which will take two to three years,” he said.
Launched last August 22, 2014 the road train can run with a maximum speed of 50kph. It is mainly powered by hybrid diesel fuel and electric-powered battery. Moreover, the train is designed to be energy-efficient, which means it does not need electricity and suspended cables to operate. This newest Filipino innovation also produces less smoke emission compared with existing mass transport vehicles, making it an eco-friendly mode of transport. (S&T Media Service, DOST-STII)
Written by: Administrator
Tuesday, 07 October 2014 05:34
21 in 2021 Technology Catalogue
21 in 2021 Technology Catalogue
DOST Innovations - Web and Mobile Applications for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
