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A Singapore university is getting an electric shuttle that takes how long to charge?

Answer: 20 seconds.

On Monday, Jan. 22, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore announced the launch of electric shuttle buses on its campus with a lightning-fast charging time of only 20 seconds. Developed by a subsidiary of Blue Solutions (owned by the Bolloré Group) called BlueSG, the NTU-Blue Solutions Flash Shuttle seats 22, and will be used on the university’s campus during a two-year trial period.

The shuttle is equipped with a supercapacitor that uses a telescopic connector to top off the battery at each stop, giving it a range of 1.2 miles per charge. The stops are spaced accordingly, but there is a backup battery pack with 19 miles of charge included, just in case. This system is much cheaper to install and maintain than traditional electric trams, because it doesn’t rely on electrified overhead lines or tracks to power the shuttle.

Kate is a senior copy editor in Northern California. She holds a bachelor's degree in English with a minor in professional writing from the University of California, Davis.