Irizar has officially opened its purpose built e-mobility manufacturing centre in Aduna in the northern Spanish province of Gipuzkoa, and took the opportunity to unveil an unexpected new addition to its electric vehicle range that underlines its commitment to provide customers with one-stop solutions. Andy Izatt reports
Irizar, with an anticipated annual turnover of €700m (2017: €620m) this year, has officially inaugurated its purpose-built e-mobility manufacturing centre in Aduna near San Sebastián in the north Spanish province of Gipuzkoa. Built on a site that is almost four hectares in size and incorporates a dedicated test track, what is described by its creator as the first electromobility plant in Europe represents an investment of €75m. The building itself encompasses 18,000 square metres and with an eye to future expansion, an adjacent similar size plot of land has also been acquired.[wlm_nonmember][…]
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Eco-sustainability was a core theme in the construction of the new plant, which has a class A energy efficiency certificate, the highest currently available in Europe. An entirely flat factory floor has no contraction joints, induction welded sheet has been used for the roof and LED lighting has been specified both inside and outside the building. Operation of the air-conditioning, heating, pneumatics and paint booths is all centrally and efficiently controlled while the domestic hot water heating system specified uses surplus steam generated by a company based on an adjoining plot.
Around 150 jobs have already been created at the new factory, with that total expected to grow to 200 this year as production doubles from one bus every two days to one a day. Staff numbers are expected to reach between 300 and 500 over the next five years, giving the plant a production capacity of around four vehicles a day – 1,000 annually. And it will be all-electric vehicles rather than just buses. While the product range already encompasses both ie buses and ie trams (a bus-based tram-like vehicle) Irizar took the opportunity at the factory inauguration to also launch a low-entry ie truck.
“The global vision of the electrification of cities and the search for synergies with freight infrastructures together with the technological capability created in the (Irizar) Group has allowed us to extend our range of products to industrial vehicles for cities,” said Irizar about the truck, which utilises systems and components that have already been developed for the electric bus range.
The 6×2-wheel chassis cab presented at the launch is powered by an electric motor coupled to lithium-ion batteries. A Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) range extender can be specified as required. The chassis is designed to accommodate “all types of bodywork currently available” and vehicle lengths would be around eight metres with a carrying capacity of about 18 tonnes. The low-entry configuration is well suited to refuse applications, which Irizar sees as the initial target market, and the latest active safety technology is incorporated in the vehicle including stability control, adaptive suspension levelling, involuntary lane change warning and emergency braking assistance.
Turnkey solutions
The introduction of the truck underlines how Irizar e-mobility has been created with the objective of providing comprehensive solutions for towns and cities. That’s not just in terms of manufacturing electric vehicles, but also by being able to provide the major infrastructure systems necessary for charging, traction and energy storage. All are designed and manufactured using 100% Irizar technology supplied by Group subsidiaries.
Irizar says the focus has to be on understanding customers’ requirements and providing tailored, flexible solutions as a result. The benefit for the customer is a single point of contact at every stage of the project, including aftersales support.
The customer relationship starts with an initial advisory service when data obtained from energy studies of an operator’s routes enables Irizar to advise on the amount of energy to load required, the optimisation strategy, power parameters, charging times, charging type – opportunity or depot – and battery life.
Once vehicles have been delivered, predictive and comprehensive maintenance of the main systems and components is carried out through real-time monitoring, because the manufacturer understands the impact that will have on improved availability and performance, life cycle costs and should ultimately deliver better residual values.
“We offer competitive and cutting-edge solutions and carry out constant updates to the in-built systems to respond effectively to the challenge of maximising the service life of each vehicle, thereby optimising the value of your assets,” said Irizar, which offers a fleet management system “that, in addition to comprehensive fully customised monitoring of costs and efficiency, can optimise the performance and profitability of each fleet and provide safety, while driving.”
Own-brand technology
The battery systems specified by Irizar in ie vehicles employ either ‘slow overnight charging’ nickel manganese cobalt or ‘fast opportunity charging’ lithium-ion cell chemistry depending on application. Assembly of battery packs using individual cells and incorporating Irizar’s own battery management and cooling systems is undertaken in-house in a special environmentally-controlled area within the Aduna plant.
Each nickel manganese cobalt pack, for example, delivers 75kWh. In a 12m ie bus there would be either 300kWh four or 375kWh five packs specified. The ‘opportunity charge’ battery pack is smaller at around 125-150kWh, but the expectation is that it will last the lifetime of the vehicle – 15 years – because the battery is depleted less on each recharge. The life of overnight charging battery packs is around seven years.
“Battery chemistry is always evolving, but with our approach we can always buy the best that’s available,” said Export Director Gotzon Gómez. “The technology we use to manage the energy is ours. That’s the key point because the chemistry doesn’t have any intelligence. We can maximise the charging cycles. With slow charging it’s about 3,000 cycles. Fast charging is around 16,000. Our responsibility is to know what the best type of battery cell is depending on application and to offer that to our customers who will be able to either rent or buy from us.”
Powertrains in the ie product range are manufactured in-house by Irizar Group subsidiaries, Alconza and Jema. “The motorisation of the vehicles has been developed using own-brand technology that is developed exclusively for our products,” emphasises Irizar.
Irizar-owned Hispacold supplies the electric climate control system that has been designed specifically for zero-emission electric vehicles. Doors and electric or manual ramps have been developed by Group subsidiary Masats, while Irizar-owned Datik, which develops devices that manage the information generated by vehicles to assist in driving, preventative maintenance and diagnostics, supplies the driver assistance system.
Datik is a ‘big data’ specialist. Its Autodock “contributes to performance optimisation, since the braking and starting intervals offer the greatest consumption variability based on the drivers and given that their driving style, their stress level or rushing to finish the service may lead to increased consumption at stops. It also improves safety, comfort and punctuality.”
As well as providing the multiplexed electronics that Irizar uses in its vehicles, Jema Energy, a Group company drawing on 60 years of experience, offers different charging options to accommodate the constraints operators face, whether it’s power limits or space and operational restrictions. Reflecting the on-board ‘slow’ and ‘fast’ battery chemistry available, in-depot plug-in charging stations can be installed, as can pantograph charging at strategic locations either along a route or at a terminal point. An intelligent charging system is available that identifies the different charging requirements of each vehicle in order to optimise the total power required.
Like other Irizar subsidiaries, Jema has a customer base that extends far beyond its Group obligations. However, its technological knowhow will play a key part in how Irizar approaches developing a range of technologies including electronic connectivity, energy storage and the advancement of autonomous vehicle design. Irizar is already participating in the ‘Dual Transport System Automatic Guidance’ project financed by the CIEN programme of CDTI, which aims to develop technologies that make it possible to automate vehicles for urban and industrial transport applications.
Creatio, the Group’s research and development centre was established in 2013, and a key objective is developing hybrid drives – particularly for coaches – as Irizar anticipates that this will be the technology that complements urban electric in interurban applications. While there is a clear determination to embrace the technological challenges that lie ahead, the need to not over promise is also understood. “We will always tell our customers what can be done and what can’t be done,” said CEO José Manuel Orcasitas. “We want them to trust Irizar, to want Irizar.”
Growing portfolio
Irizar first committed to developing an all-electric 12m bus in 2011, building the first of what was originally branded the i2e, (now the ie) two years later. Bolted aluminium profiles are used for the body shell to minimise weight, while the front, back and chassis are assembled with carbon steel or stainless steel depending on customer preference. Stainless steel is more expensive, but appropriate in countries where the risk of corrosion is higher because of road gritting, for example. Range is between 200 and 220km at an average speed of 15-17km/h, guaranteeing between 14 and 16 hours of driving depending on weather and traffic conditions.
The first 12m all-electrics for operators were delivered in 2014 for customers in Barcelona and San Sebastián – Go-Ahead London receiving its Transport for London (TfL) compliant pair, the first for the UK, a year later. As the number of customers has grown, so has the size of some of the orders, with EMT Bus, Madrid taking 15 earlier this year being a notable example. More than 100 12m ie buses are now in service in several European countries.
The ie tram, a BRT-style facelift of the 18m articulated version of the ie bus first developed in 2016, was unveiled at Busworld Europe in Kortrijk last October. Initial customers are Amiens Metropole in northern France for 43, Bayonne in southern France ordering 18 and Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) for four. Production is well underway with the first for TMB awaiting delivery when the factory was inaugurated.
Available in both 12m and 18m configurations, the ie tram can carry up to 155 people. Irizar described it as “a bus with the appearance of a tram that combines the large capacity, ease of access and internal configuration of a tram with the flexibility of a city bus.” Up to eight sliding doors can be specified along with a spacious saloon configuration that can be enhanced with options such as USB chargers, WiFi, braille buttons, luggage racks and real-time passenger information. A bi-articulated version of the ie tram is in development.
UK midibus first
The first 10.8m ie midibus, a TfL-specification demonstrator, made its debut at Coach & Bus UK at the NEC, Birmingham last October. Following trials with HCT Group on TfL contracted routes from Ash Grove, it’s currently operating for Menzies Aviation at Heathrow Airport where it’s achieving 1.2kWh/km. It’s expected to remain in service there for around eight weeks. Trials with some of the UK’s big bus groups are being organised, the midibus having already completed First Group’s standard Millbrook evaluation programme.
“Heathrow Airport has been undertaking various trials and we were keen to participate,” said Irizar Business Development Manager – Bus, Shaun Millar. “As Menzies Aviation already operates Irizar-bodied buses, it was the logical partner. We’re conscious that there are lots of markets in the UK ranging from the London tendered one, which is very price sensitive, through to some of the new BRT schemes and at airports. Because of that, we’re keen to make the midibus available to a broad range of operators.
Irizar UK’s part-time Strategic Advisor e-bus, Mike Weston explained: “With Irizar, operators are buying a complete package for the life of the vehicle and they’re also being offered a broader product range than is available from many competitors. The next generation of Irizar ie bus will have a more efficient motor and will be lighter so we’re expecting efficiency improvements of around 15% as a result.
“The urban bus is going electric. That’s clear, but what isn’t clear is the timescale. As operators become more experienced in electric bus operation, they will better understand the total costs of ownership, but in the short and medium term there will still be a need for some sort of subsidy from local authorities, transport authorities or government. At some point there is going to have to be a realisation that the conversion from diesel is going to have to be funded in some way because it’s unreasonable to expect passengers to pay. The air quality improvements that result will benefit society generally.
“In Europe I would say there’s a 50/50 mix between depot and opportunity charging at the moment although it’s possible to have a mix of both, of course. The charging standard for Europe is likely to be DC rather than AC. DC is what Irizar uses and there will come a point when operators realise that with big garages to convert, they will want interoperability of charging because otherwise they could find they’re locked into a smaller number of potential suppliers. If cities are installing on-street infrastructure they will want electric vehicles from any manufacturer to be able to use it so there really needs to be common standards.
“There is a big debate on whether to have a roadside pantograph charger or charger on the roof of the vehicle. If the charger is on the vehicle and it fails, only one vehicle is lost. If it’s the roadside pantograph that fails, it could be the whole service. However, there’s less weight on the vehicle if the charger is on the pantograph mast.
“There are some big decisions to be made for cities and operators over what charging regime they select because once they commit, it won’t be easy for them to change it.”
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