A new electric bus, developed by electrification specialist Equipmake in collaboration with Argentine-Brazilian bus manufacturer Agrale, was launched at the recent C40 World Mayors Conference in Buenos Aires.
Working with Agrale and Argentine coachbuilder Todo Bus, Equipmake developed an electric version of the single-deck Agrale MT17.0 LE, installing its own Zero-Emission Drivetrain (ZED).
The Agrale MT17.0 LEe is a 12-meter single-deck model capable of carrying 70 passengers. The bespoke Equipmake drivetrain features a 318 kWh battery and Equipmake’s own HTM 3500 electric motor, which produces 3,500 Nm of torque and maximum power of 400 kW, and is seamlessly integrated into the prop shaft with no need for a separate transmission, as well as a Semikron SKAI inverter.
Equipmake estimates that the new electric Agrale MT17.0LEe will have a range of up to 150 miles (240 km), more than enough for a day’s use in Buenos Aires. It can be recharged in the depot overnight via a CSS2 DC charging point.
Following successful tests by Agrale, the new bus will now begin in-service trials on the streets of Buenos Aires. Agrale and Todo Bus aim to bring the bus into mass production in Buenos Aires.
Equipmake says its ZED system also enables the repower of almost any type of bus. The company says it can perform up to five repowers a week on suitable models, and that each conversion should cost less than half the price of a new electric bus.
“In parallel with the creation of new electric buses, repowering is an important transitionary technology that can bridge the gap between diesel and a new electric bus fleet,” said Ian Foley, CEO of Equipmake Holdings. “There is clear appetite for the technology, with strong demand from operators, leading to the expansion of our facilities in Norfolk.”
Source: Equipmake Holdings