Chongqing on the fast-track to high-tech innovation
The Bishan district of Chongqing is fast becoming a hub for high-tech enterprises, and strives to quickly turn breakthrough innovations into commercial applications.
By Zhang Rui
One month after its official launch on April 16, the SkyShuttle train still excites onlookers as it speeds through the Bishan district of the southwestern city of Chongqing.
The SkyShuttle is the first project of its kind in China, featuring electric-powered, unmanned, fully automatic trains that run across 15.4 km of elevated rails. Developed by leading Chinese new energy vehicle manufacturer BYD, the SkyShuttle is designed to further reduce congestion in the City of Hills — which already has a well-established metro network.
"The metro lines are like major veins, while the SkyShuttle lines are like capillaries," Liang Lizhong, vice manager of Chongqing SkyShuttle Rail Traffic Operation and Management, told China.org.cn. "The SkyShuttle has been built considering local population scale, and helps Bishan residents connect to the metro and city rail, enjoy the local landscapes and parks, and ease traffic jams."
In the future, the SkyShuttle will also be fitted with the new Blade Battery developed under BYD's sub-brand FinDreams. According to staff in FinDreams' battery factory in Chongqing on Monday, the Blade Battery has several advantages over traditional lithium-ion batteries, including exceptional safety, longer life and high endurance. The new battery is already in use in one of BYD's pure electric vehicles.
