The first electric bus equipped with an ultracapacitor in China rolls off the assembly line in Suzhou on May 13. It will start operating in Tongzhou district in June. [Photo/WeChat account: wxtzfb]

An electric bus equipped with an ultracapacitor, jointly developed by Higer Bus Company Limited in Suzhou and Nantong Jianghai Capacitor Co Ltd, rolled off the assembly line in Suzhou city in East China's Jiangsu province on May 13.

Ultracapacitors are electrical energy storage devices that have the ability to store a large amount of electrical charges – extending the range of electric-powered vehicles.

The new bus will reportedly start operating in the Tongzhou district of Nantong city, in East China's Jiangsu province, in June.

Being the first electric bus with an ultracapacitor in China, the bus has a body length of 10 meters and can accommodate 40 passengers.

The lithium electronic supercapacitors on board are produced by Nantong Jianghai Capacitor, a high-tech enterprise which is based in the Nantong National High-tech Industrial Development Zone. The company is engaged in the research, development, production and sales of capacitors and their materials and instruments.

After a five-minute charging, the new bus can run for 30 kilometers, which makes it highly suitable for public transport.