Electric buses

July 12, 2022

MT17.0LE Electric Single Deck Bus developed as part of an APC funded project begins Buenos Aires in-service trials.

Following completion of final UK testing, an electric bus developed by Equipmake and featuring the company’s state-of-the-art zero emission powertrain, leaves Norfolk today on its journey to Buenos Aires where it will begin in-service trials.

Marking the first overseas on-road trial of an Equipmake-developed electric bus – further underlining its position as a global electrification leader – the zero-emission single decker is set to start in-service running in Argentina’s capital in Q3 of this year.

Developed as part of the Advanced Propulsion Centre-funded CELEB (Cost Effective Low Entry Bus) project – in which Equipmake has led multiple international partners over the last three years – the objective of the program has been to deliver a cost-effective bus designed for the South American market.

Working with Brazilian bus manufacturer Agrale and Argentinian coachbuilder Todo Bus, Equipmake has developed, from the ground-up, an electric version of the Agrale MT17.0LE single decker, installing its own Zero Emission Drivetrain (ZED). This state-of-the art modular and scale-able battery drivetrain, developed at Equipmake’s HQ in Snetterton, is the same technology also used in Equipmake’s new London-specification bus, the double decker Jewel E.

The Agrale MT17.0LE project features a bespoke Equipmake ZED with a 318kWh lithium-ion battery, Equipmake’s own HTM 3500 electric motor – producing 3,500 Nm torque at 1,000rpm and 400kW maximum power, seamlessly integrated into the prop shaft without the need for a separate transmission – and a Semikron SKAI inverter.

Over the last 12 months, Equipmake’s engineering team has put the new bus through an extensive durability programme in and around Norfolk, with thousands of test miles completed on proving grounds, city centres (including Norwich) and on motorways.

rom this robust test programme, Equipmake estimates the new electric Agrale MT17.0LE will have a range of up to 150 miles (240km) – more than enough for a day’s use in Buenos Aires. When the battery is depleted at the end of a complete duty cycle, it can be recharged at the depot overnight via a CSS2 DC charging point.

The Equipmake ZED-powered Agrale MT17.0LE, a 12m single deck model capable of carrying 70 passengers, will be operated over the next 12 months by DOTA S.A., the largest bus operator in Buenos Aires. Following the successful completion of the trial, the objective is for mass manufacture to begin in Buenos Aires with Agrale and Todo Bus, using licensed Equipmake ZED technology.

https://equipmake.co.uk/equipmake-developed-state-of-the-art-electric-bus-heads-for-buenos-aires