Hyundai’s zero-emission electric bus runs on the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, the ‘Alps on the Sea’ in Japan.

Iwasaki Group Signs Letter of Intent for ‘Electric City Town’ Supply Purchase,

Hyundai Electric Bus ‘Electric City Town’ introduced in May for trial operation ahead of official release in the Japanese market in the fourth quarter of this year. [Provided by Hyundai Motor],
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, ‘[Herald Economy=Reporter Seo Jae-geun] Hyundai Motor announced on the 23rd that it is actively pursuing the electrification of commercial vehicles in the Japanese market, following its entry into the passenger car market, including starting to supply eco-friendly buses in major tourist destinations in Japan.’,
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, ‘On the 18th in Tokyo, Japan, Hyundai Motor held a Letter of Intent (LOI) signing ceremony with Iwasaki Group at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo to provide the eco-friendly electric bus known as ‘Electric City Town’. Starting from this day, Hyundai Motor began the full-scale preparation for the Electric City Town contract. Electric City Town is Hyundai’s first electric bus introduced in Japan.’,
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, ‘The signing ceremony was attended by about 40 people, including Cho Wonsang, Executive Director of Hyundai Motor Japan Corporation (HMJ), and Yoshiharu Iwasaki, CEO of Iwasaki Group. Iwasaki Group is engaged in transportation and tourism services mainly in Kagoshima Prefecture.’,
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, ‘The Letter of Intent establishes the mutual agreement on the main points for the contract, excluding some specific contract conditions, and Hyundai Motor plans to supply a total of 5 Electric City Town buses starting with the delivery of the first electric bus in the fourth quarter of this year, with all 5 buses to be supplied by the first quarter of next year.’,
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, ‘CEO Yoshiharu Iwasaki said, “Although Chinese electric buses are currently being sold in Japan, we opted for Hyundai Motor’s electric buses due to their high quality and reliability,” explaining the plan to replace all vehicles operating in Yakushima with electric vehicles (EV) in the future.’,
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, ‘Iwasaki Group is planning to operate the Electric City Town purchased from Hyundai Motor as a route bus in Yakushima.’,
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, ‘Yakushima is an island located at the southwestern tip of the Japanese archipelago, with an area of 504 km² (about a quarter the size of Jeju Island) and designated as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 1993.’,
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, ‘It is renowned as a globally recognized eco-friendly tourist destination due to its extraordinary natural landscapes, often referred to as the ‘Alps on the Sea’. With climates of both subtropical and subarctic zones appearing simultaneously in mountainous regions higher than 1,000 meters above sea level, it features diverse plant ecosystems. The region requires preservation of nature and suppression of pollutant emissions as it has unique natural environments like centuries-old cedar forests and wetlands.’,
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Executive Director Cho Wonsang of Hyundai Motor Japan Corporation (HMJ) (right) and CEO Yoshiharu Iwasaki of Iwasaki Group are taking a commemorative photo at the signing ceremony for the Letter of Intent. [Provided by Hyundai Motor],
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, ‘Electric City Town is a medium-sized low-floor electric bus designed specifically for the local situation, with a length of 9 meters. It is equipped with a 145 kWh battery and a high-efficiency motor capable of delivering a maximum output of 160 kWh.’,
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, ‘It is expected to achieve a maximum driving range of over 220 km on a single charge (based on Japanese standards), and charging is designed to be accessible with a Chademo charging method adjusted to local conditions while also allowing rapid charging up to 180 kWh (based on 2-pole charging).’,
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, ‘Electric City Town is equipped with various advanced safety features such as Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) that controls wheel brake pressure and output to enhance driving stability, rear parking distance warning, and safety alighting warning system that detects objects or obstacles approaching passengers in blind spots during boarding and alighting using ultrasonic sensors.’,
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, ‘Hyundai Motor also plans to have a inventory management system that can deliver over 95% of parts within 2 days to minimize operational disruption due to maintenance or repairs. In collaboration with local insurance companies, efforts are being made to provide the highest level of after-sales service (AS) by supporting a portion of replacement costs for parts that are often damaged, such as front glass, side mirrors, and tires, for a certain period of time.’,
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, ‘A Hyundai Motor official stated, “It is even more meaningful to supply Hyundai’s first electric bus, the Electric City Town, to Yakushima, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site,” and expressed plans to solidify its position as a leading brand in electrification by deploying electric commercial vehicles after passenger cars, showcasing continuous electrified vehicles to provide differentiated value of ‘EV Life’ to local customers, and contribute to Japan’s carbon emission reduction policy.’,
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, ‘Hyundai has entered the Japanese market starting with the Ioniq 5 in 2022, introducing only 100% electric models in the local passenger car market such as the Nexo fuel cell electric vehicle, Kona Electric, and the high-performance electric vehicle Ioniq 5 N. Next year, it plans to introduce a new compact electric car model and additional commercial electric vehicle models to lead the electrification transition in the Japanese automotive market.’,
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