Turkish bus manufacturer Otokar presented its new e-Kent C electric bus at the recent IAA Mobility show in Munich, with an eye to winning more orders from European bus operators. In the coming months, Otokar will organize roadshows and demos in Europe for the e-Kent C, which is already in serial production.

The name “Kent” is the Turkish word for “city,” and the new e-Kent C is a 12-meter city transit bus that can accommodate 100+ passengers. Maximum power output is 340 kW (455 hp), and maximum torque is 40,000 Nm. The bus is powered by lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt-oxide batteries from Webasto. Each battery pack has a capacity of 35 kWh, and up to ten can be installed for a total capacity of 350 kWh. The battery modules are installed on the roof and rear of the bus. Otokar quotes a range of “more than 300 km,” and expects the battery pack to last ten years or 3,000 cycles.

“The batteries from Webasto are extremely reliable, enabling us to shoot right out of the gate with regard to potential tenders in Europe,” said Erdal Usta, Commercial Vehicles Engineering Group Director at Otokar. “We have received excellent support from the engineers at Webasto, and they will also be a trusted partner for us in terms of aftersales support, spare parts availability and warranty.”

Otokar has conducted diverse tests to meet European safety regulations. “We tested the electromagnetic compatibility because there are a lot of electrical components in the e-Kent C that have to function well in combination without disrupting each other,” said Usta. “We also had to ensure that there were no negative impacts on the surrounding area, for example, radio interference.”

Otokar also tested the structural durability of the bus chassis. The batteries weigh more than two tons. “We had to be sure that the bus structure could carry the weight throughout its whole lifetime,” explains Usta. “We completed a total of one million test kilometers equivalent road-load durability testing to ensure the highest quality and safety at every point. We also performed several tests in different regions and climates to check overall energy efficiency for heating and cooling systems.”

Source: Webasto via Sustainable Bus