Chinese manufacturers seek to make the most of the large market potential for electric buses in today’s more environmentally aware society.

France’s Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens (RATP), the state operator of public transport (LPT) has announced plans to test the electric bus produced by Chinese bus manufacturer Yutong at this year's "Busworld Kortrijk", the world's biggest trade fair for buses and coaches in the Belgian city of Kortrijk.

If the test result is successful, there will be the possibility that Yutong could become one of the main suppliers to RATP in the next ten years. Thus Yutong could be the first Chinese new energy bus manufacturer entering the international market.

The electric bus (model ZK6128BEVG) envisaged by RATP was developed specifically for the European market. The twelve-meter bus can cover a distance of up to 250 kilometers after being fully charged. The maximum speed of the bus, which can accelerate to 50 kilometers per hour within 17 seconds, is 85 kilometers per hour. Moreover, its power consumption is only one kilowatt-hour per kilometer.

The bus also has a sophisticated security system. It is equipped with an Advanced Emergency Braking System (AEBS), a lane departure warning (LDW) and Electronic Stability Control (ESC). It also boasts a diagnostic system that allows vehicle failures to be remotely diagnosed online.

In Europe, most buses and coaches run on diesel and are considered a major cause of urban air pollution. The introduction and spread of environmentally friendly and energy-saving electric buses is a good way to improve air quality.

The Chinese bus manufacturer Yutong developed its first electric bus in 1999 and a hybrid bus in 2005. During the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, a new model of the hybrid bus was launched by Yutong and used in Beijing.