Jonathan Welch speaks to some of the team behind the new Switch e1 electric bus aimed at the European market
As reported in our news pages this week, Switch Mobility has launched its new European city bus, the e1, at the recent Paris trade show. Launched barely a year after the company’s transformation from Optare, and in the wake of a growing market for electric bus products in the UK and India, the 12m long battery-electric single-decker e1 is its first fully electric bus designed specifically for the European market.
Developed based on 10 years of EV bus experience in the UK and India, and over 30 million driven miles, Switch says its e1, which is tailored to the European market and was launched at the European Mobility Expo in Paris in early June, raises the standards of quality and performance in the segment
The new model combines a lightweight monocoque construction with advanced NMC battery technology to create what Switch expects to be a ‘truly market-leading’ product with a 389kWh battery capacity and ZF hub motors and fast charging in under three hours.
Safety features and technology include Switch’s iAlert, enabling remote, real-time diagnostics and monitoring services, as well as ‘worldclass’ digital battery management tools. The manufacturer said it has also placed a focus on passenger comfort aboard the very differently-styled vehicle, which offers a capacity for up to 93 passengers, including 30 seated, a number which sounds low to those used to the UK bus market but which reflects operating practices in mainland Europe.
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