The Tindo buses in Adelaide were the first solar powered all-electric buses in the world and the first prototype was commissioned by the Adelaide council in 2008. The Tindo buses first commenced operation on 11/2/2008 and had operated for 60,000 km by 2010. (Tindo is the Kaurna Aboriginal name for sun)
The first prototype bus was so successful that a further 2 all electric buses were commissioned in 2010. Both the buses and the FIAMM SoNick batteries have exceeded all expectations of performance.
Overall, when compared to other electric buses now in operation the Tindo bus has one of the most demanding schedules in the world.
One of the reasons the SoNick battery technology was chosen was due to its safety. The SoNick battery is non-combustible so there are no safety issues with possible explosion or fire on impact in the case of a bus crash as there can be with lithium ion batteries. Another consideration was that the batteries are fully recyclable and the cost of recycling is included in the battery price. The SoNick batteries are virtually maintenance free, very lightweight and operate efficiently, no matter what the ambient temperature is and have a longer expected life cycle than other battery technologies.