Double Decker Bus Goes Electric with 2,581 Pounds Of Torque

You can expect to get up to 250 miles on one charge.

Electric motors and battery pack will transform more than passenger vehicles . This technology could prove to be a boon to commercial vehicles. Many sectors are already looking into or starting to adopt new motor propulsion systems. Buses are one vehicle that could go completely all-electric. The double-decker Jewel E is a prototype that uses scheduled routes, recharge times and logistics to eliminate urban transit.

Equipmake, a specialist in commercial vehicle electrification, built the double-decker bus with Beulas (Spanish coachbuilder). Equipmake’s Zero Emission Drivetrain is used in the Jewel E, which can be adapted to fit different bus sizes. This powertrain produces up to 536 horsepower (405 kilowatts) as well as an astonishing 2,581 pound-feet (3.500 Newton-meters), of torque. A lithium-ion battery pack can be paired with the HTM 3500 motor to produce up to 543-kilowatts.

The double-decker’s torque and batteries give it a range of up 250 miles (402 km), which is plenty for bus passengers on a daily basis. Equipmake claims that the Jewel E is the first all-electric bus to comply with Transport for London’s bus safety standards, which will be implemented in 2024. This means that the bus was designed to handle London’s bus system. It also has safety enhancements.

It is expected that the bus will begin testing in the first quarter of next year. The bus is expected to be in service by the end of the year. Production and sales will begin in 2022. The UK hopes to have at least 4,000 additional zero-emission buses built in Britain by 2024. Because of their regular use and short driving distances buses make excellent vehicles for electrification. Additionally, the bus’s overnight parking makes it easy to recharge.