The Tindo solar-powered electric bus is now cruising around in Adelaide, Australia. The 34-foot commercial bus will be powered by solar panels on the roof of the Adelaide Central Bus Station made by BP Solar plus 11 onboard Zebra 262 kw sodium/nickel batteries.
Tindo, which is the aboriginal word for sun, is using the same photovoltaic technology as the Solartaxi that is currently touring around the world. Tindo is capable of hauling 42 passengers at one time with 25 standard seats plus two spaces for disabled seating. The range of Tindo is approximately 120 miles before needing an 8-hour recharge time.
The vehicle management system (VMS) is another crucial component of Tindo. The VMS monitors all onboard equipment and controls the bus’s main drive system and auxiliary battery charging and management. Tindo even uses regenerative braking to recharge the batteries when it is slowing down.
Since the Tindo operates on 100-percent solar-electric power alone its operation is very quiet. So, get on the bus, Gus, don’t need to discuss much, just plug into the Sun, Son and set yourself free (and, my deepest apologies to Paul Simon).