HUNGARY: Hungarian manufacturer Credobus has completed its first Hungarian-built electric articulated bus.
The manufacturer presented the Electronell 18 for the first time in Budapest, and claims it is the world’s lightest steel-framed articulated e-bus, with an unladen weight of below 16 tons, which the company says allows it to reach a range of 300 km with 25% fewer batteries.
The company’s 12-metre model was unveiled in the summer of 2024, and the new 18-metre articulated bus was expected to enter service in early 2025, following its presentation on 18 December.
The company says ‘breakthrough technical innovations’ allow the new Electronell 18 to be is the lightest steel-framed articulated electric bus in the world, allowing it to reach a 300-kilometre range with a battery pack approximately 25% smaller than competitors, whilst also making the bus less costly to produce and recycle.
Credobus’ ultralight construction is based on a steel frame structure, which it says fits into operators’ existing maintenance environments and is almost completely recyclable. The low weight is achieved by the optimisation of the chassis and axles, with additional benefits of increased passenger capacity, faster charging, and a smaller ecological footprint.
The low entry design enables two out of the four batteries to be located under the floor, providing a low centre of gravity, and the 19.5” wheel size means that the wheel arches are lower, so there are no unused spaces between the backrests of the seats on them, the company says, whilst the raised floor section provides a high number of standing places. The bus is designed with a 2-2-2-2 door configuration, with an interior layout suitable for both urban and suburban applications.
Energy storage is provided by liquid-cooled NMC batteries from BorgWarner, and the battery pack has a total capacity of 392kWh, with a recharge time of just over three hours. The bus shares a driveline with the 12m version and is propelled by a Voith VEDS HD (Heavy Duty) central motor drive system has a peak power of 410kW. The company says the start of serial production of the buses directly contributes to the preservation of nearly 500 Hungarian jobs and means orders for 100 Hungarian suppliers.
CREDOBUS
