On October 17, the VIII Interregional Professional Driving Skills Competition, "Driver of the Year – 2025," took place at the federal site "Sirius" in Sochi. The event was dedicated to the celebration of the Day of the Automobile and Urban Passenger Transport Employee in the Russian Federation.
At the outdoor exhibition, BKM Holding showcased the E433 Vitovt electric bus, which is 18.75 meters long. The bus is fully low-floor, ensuring convenience for boarding and alighting, and providing enhanced comfort for all passengers. It features a lowering function on the entrance side and has two designated areas for accommodating baby strollers and wheelchair users. Its passenger capacity is 140 people, with 41 seats available.
The electric bus is designed for urban operation with a range of at least 120 km at full load and with the climate control system turned on. The autonomous drive is powered by NMC type energy storage systems. In 2025, BKM Holding implemented a combined charging system for this model - ultra-fast charging on the route using a pantograph and overnight charging in the depot with a charging socket. The charging time after completing a route with the climate system turned on will be no more than 65 minutes via the pantograph from an ultra-fast charging station (output voltage 585-600 V, current 500 A) and no more than 175 minutes using the CCS 2 Combo connector (gun charging, current 200 A).
The E433 Vitovt electric bus is already in operation in cities across Belarus and Russia. During the week, the transport was tested in the real conditions of the resort, which features the challenging terrain. Participants at the event in Sochi were able not only to see the new model but also to meet its developers and assess the comfort and technical characteristics of the electric bus.
The exhibition was visited by Evgeny Pergun, Acting Deputy Governor of the Krasnodar Territory, and Alexey Smaglyuk, Deputy Minister of Transport and Road Management of the Krasnodar Territory.
The event served as a platform for exchanging experiences. During the conference "Development of Automotive and Passenger Transport in the Regions of the Southern Federal District," Oleg Bytsko, Deputy General Director for Innovative Development at BKM Holding, delivered a speech. Participants discussed how to make public transport more comfortable and safer for passengers, as well as more unified and high-quality for customers.
