Abu Dhabi's green energy firm launches region's first all-electric bus

FILE PHOTO: Visitors take a look at the ECO Bus manufactured by Masdar during the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, in Abu Dhabi, UAE, January 17, 2018. REUTERS/Satish Kumar/File Photo

ABU DHABI (Reuters) - Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) has launched the region's first fully electric passenger bus as the capital of the United Arab Emirates pursues clean and energy efficient transport.

The UAE has set a clean energy target of 27 percent by 2021.

Green energy company Masdar, wholly-owned by Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company, has invested $8.5 billion in renewable energy projects in the UAE and abroad.

FILE PHOTO: Visitors take a look at the interior of the ECO Bus manufactured by Masdar during the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, in Abu Dhabi, UAE, January 17, 2018. REUTERS/Satish Kumar/File Photo

The all-electric bus, jointly developed by Masdar, Siemens Middle East and Abu Dhabi-based bus manufacturer Hafilat Industry LLC, can seat 30 passengers with a range of 150 kilometers (93 miles) per battery charge, Masdar said on Tuesday.

Solar panels are also used to power the bus's auxiliary systems. Designed to withstand the heat and humidity of the UAE climate, the bus will serve a six-stop route within Abu Dhabi.

The initiative part of a series of future projects aimed at enhancing the intelligent transportation system in Abu Dhabi and making it part of the daily lives of public transport users, the statement said.

(Reporting by Stanley Carvalho, editing by Louise Heavens)