Equipmake, a leading commercial vehicle electrification specialist, has launched the Jewel E electric bus, in partnership with the Spanish coachbuilder Beulas; the vehicle offers a range of up to 250 miles — ‘the longest of any electric double-deck bus in the world’.
It combines a ‘cutting-edge’ British-built electric powertrain, designed and developed at Equipmake’s purpose-built facility in Norfolk, with a body produced by Beulas in Girona, Spain. The bus will help meet the ever-increasing global demand for electric buses, a demand that is expected to increase from 300,000 vehicles per annum to 1 million by 2030.
Scheduled to be manufactured in 2022 at an all-new facility in Norfolk, Jewel E will not only bring new jobs to the area but play a key role in helping the UK Government — through its Bus Back Better national strategy — achieve its target of introducing at least 4,000 more British-built zero-emission buses into the UK market by 2024.
Under the skin of Jewel E lies Equipmake’s ZED (zero emission drivetrain) advanced propulsion technology; this is modular, scaleable and capable of supporting different bus sizes. ZED is already being used in single-deck buses in Buenos Aires (Argentina), as part of an Equipmake partnership with Agrale.
Equipmake’s HTM 3500 motor combines high torque with low motor speeds and is fitted directly onto the propshaft, negating the need for a separate gearbox. It offers a maximum torque of 3,500Nm at just 1,000rev/min and a maximum power of 400kW.
In London alone, buses on the capital city’s streets cover over 475 million km a year, and Jewel E is the first EV bus to meet the latest Transport for London (TfL) bus safety standard specifications and requirements for 2024.
Ian Foley, Equipmake’s managing director, said: “Improving urban air quality is a global problem. At the same time, operators want vehicles that are cost-effective and highly efficient, while governments and local bodies need bus manufacturers to bring advanced technology to market quickly.
“Equipmake has taken all of this into account and the result is our innovative new EV double decker, Jewel E.”