Belarus ready to supply electric bus prototype to Russia's Orenburg for trials

MINSK, 9 April (BelTA) – Belarusian enterprises are ready to supply all kinds of urban transport to Russia's Orenburg Oblast. A prototype of an electric bus produced in the country can be provided for free testing for six months or a year, TASS reports citing the statement of Belarusian Ambassador to Russia Vladimir Semashko at the meeting with members of the Orenburg Oblast government.

“Belarus has developed all kinds of urban transport: small, medium, large, and other types of buses running on gas (compressed and liquefied gas) and diesel. We produce the whole range of trolleybuses and trams. We have also launched the production of a new type of transport - electric buses. We could supply you with an electric bus prototype for free for some time, for six months or a year,” Vladimir Semashko said during a visit of the Belarusian delegation to the region.

According to him, electric buses can ply on urban routes with a length of about 20km. It takes them only 4-5 minutes to recharge at the station. The new type of transport has a number of advantages over trolleybuses, the ambassador said. In addition to saving 20% on travel, there is also no need to install supports and lay the contact network when launching routes in new neighborhoods of the city.

At the meeting of the Belarusian delegation with the members of the Orenburg Oblast government, heads of public associations and business entities also discussed the issues of increasing the supply of agricultural equipment, the development of dealer and service centers, as well as a specialized class on the basis of the agricultural college, where future machine operators could receive specialized training to work with the Belarusian equipment.

“Last year we bought 600 tractors, some over 200 of which were Belarus tractors. We separately discussed cooperation on setting up the Gomselmash dealer center. Last year we bought 24 Polesie combine harvesters. A total of 280 harvesters were purchased. We also talked about the need to strengthen the work on spare parts,” First Vice Governor - First Deputy Chairman of the Orenburg Oblast Government Sergei Balykin said.

Orenburg Oblast, in turn, offered Belarus cooperation in alternative energy, the launch of joint ventures on the special economic zone which is under development in Orenburg Oblast, the opportunity to use medical services, namely rehabilitation after various diseases on the salt lakes. Orenburg Oblast also invited Belarusian athletes to the local bases and stated its readiness to host coaches to exchange experience.

Belarus is one of the strategic partners of Russia's Orenburg Oblast. In 2020 the mutual trade amounted to $279.6 million, up more than 50%. Exports of Orenburg goods increased by 58.3% to $274.3 million, due to an increase in exports of oil products, the press service of the Orenburg Oblast government said. Imports of Belarusian products to the Russian oblast decreased by 32.1% and amounted to $5.3 million.

As of 1 January 2021, there were seven companies with Belarusian capital registered in Orenburg Oblast.