Storyline BYD electric buses hit Budapest streets Every weekday morning, Helga and Zoltán take the same bus line from their neighborhood into the city center, a familiar routine that recently has felt a little different. Zoltán, commuter: "I think it looks beautiful. We have these older buses all the time, so it's a nice feeling to get on a bus that looks like ... it's like new smell or something. And it looks accessible as well because we see these railings that help you to get on the bus. Like on the higher seats, you can can get onto them easier." Budapest began testing the new China-owned BYD electric buses in November, putting them through inspections, system checks, and charging trials. Each bus can travel up to seven hundred kilometers on a single charge, supported by new high-speed chargers and upgraded bus bays at the city's depot. But for riders like Helga and Zoltán, what they notice is something much simpler. Zoltán, commuter: "The suspension I think is much better than like you are holding your phone and it's like you can't even see the text." Helga, commuter: "I can't read the text in my phone on the older buses." Zoltán, commuter: "I would say that it feels much smoother. That's right." Beyond passenger comfort, city transport officials say the most significant change lies in how these buses can be used across the network. Pablo Gutierrez, Reporter； "Right now, there are five of these new BYD electric buses crossing Budapest, serving parts of the city that had limited transportation service. The goal is to add many more during the spring of 2026." Ádám Bodor, Deputy CEO for Mobility Development, Budapest BKK: "The goal is to have fifty-eight regular electric buses and twenty-four articulated electric buses operating from this site. So this year we hope to have eighty-two of them running on the roads and streets of Budapest." Some of the buses running on the streets of Budapest will come from the BYD production hub in the city of Komárom, which is expanding its operations to support Europe's growing electric transport market. Helga, commuter: "It's good for the environment, good for the people. It's not loud." And in a city of millions of journeys, the quietness of the buses is much appreciated, as travelers enjoy the upgraded service, carrying them to their destinations. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]