Altas Auto introduced the first electric buses

In July 2020, small bus manufacturer Altas Auto and electric motor manufacturer Elinta Motors announced joint plans to develop mass-produced electric buses: “More than a year ago, with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, we decided that focusing on the development and improvement of innovative products is of paramount importance,” says Edvardas Radzevičius, CEO of Altas Auto.

Altas Auto introduced the first electric buses

Over the past year, engineers from both companies have designed three different products, carried out all necessary testing and certification work and prepared for the series production of electric buses. Tests have already been carried out on engine power, safety, impact and vibration tests of batteries and other parts of electric cars, as well as passive safety systems – EABS, ABS, ESP. The deviation from the lane indicator was also tested, all other tests necessary to ensure the safety of the electric bus were carried out.

The electric drive used in buses has already been tested after traveling 4 million miles. kilometers and more than 10 thousand have already been covered with these demo models. km The buses will continue to be tested and demonstrated in various European countries. In this way, different working methods will be tested in different climatic conditions. More than one million euros has already been spent on the development and testing of these demonstration models. Active investments continue: it is planned to create more models, further improve the equipment, so that the batteries can be charged even faster and the buses can travel a greater distance.

The first prototypes of electric buses presented to the public

During the presentation held at the Altas Auto plant, the first bus prototypes were demonstrated: Altas Auto EV Ecoline AND EV Cityline. For the suburbs EV Ecoline the model has 19 seats and in the city bus EV Cityline it will be able to accommodate up to 23 passengers.

The electric models have 3 battery units each with a total capacity of 115 kWh: they power a 150 kW electric motor. The bus can travel over 200 kilometers on a single charge in urban conditions. This distance is sufficient for small buses that run in cities and suburbs.

Electric buses are equipped with fast charging equipment (charging power – over 70 kW), so the batteries charge in just under 2 hours. According to manufacturers, electricity costs will not reach 8 euros per 100 kilometers.

Intelligent technologies and exclusive design accents

One of the advantages of electric buses according to E. Radzevičius is the integration of intelligent technologies. Using the mobile application Can in the phone it will be possible to manage some bus parameters, safety systems, activate the air conditioning, etc. Also a fleet management program Xirgo will give the user the possibility to see all the telemetry of the electric buses in real time on the computer screen.

During the construction of the buses, the transmission part was also abandoned. The electric motor transmits power directly to the rear gearbox without an additional transmission, so energy losses are lower than when driving a normal diesel bus.

At first glance, the small electric buses will look similar to similar models with an internal combustion engine, but the electric bus models from Altas Auto are also distinguished by some design accents. For example, the instrument cluster has been modified, which will clearly reflect the readings relevant for transport with electric drive.

The buses are adapted for passengers with special needs

According to Edvardas Radzevičius, CEO of Altas Auto, the equipment of the buses delivered to the market is different and customizing the bus according to special needs is one of the most important aspects for the customer when choosing a specific model. Therefore, these electric buses, like the diesel models, will optionally have all the essential additional equipment.

For example, electric models from Altas Auto are suitable for disabled people: city buses are equipped with folding ramps for wheelchairs, and suburban buses have several interior equipment options. They may have integrated elevators for passengers with special needs.

Together with 18 of its foreign partners, Altas Auto will sell buses equipped with Mercedes-Benz Sprinter in the base of the car, which is the most popular in the production of small buses and is best suited to various modifications. The Lithuanian manufacturers will make a separate line based on MAN TGE available to the MAN company, with which they are developing particularly close relationships. The company has already officially included three bus models among its products.

Long-term guarantees and automatic notification to the customer of the next technical service

The price of these buses has already been calculated. Depending on the purpose of use and specifications, the buses will cost European carriers from 160 to 180 thousand. euro (excl. VAT): “We can already see that our products will certainly be in demand and competitive, but we also understand that for now this is a significantly more expensive vehicle than diesel buses. We are actively monitoring the electric vehicle market and set ourselves the goal of further improving these products so that transporters benefit from them as much as possible,” says Edvardas Radzevičius.

The buses are guaranteed for 24 months, the batteries for even 60 months. Transportation maintenance will be performed by specially trained Altas Auto representatives. Maintenance of these models is much simpler and cheaper than conventional diesels. The technical parameters of electric buses will be constantly monitored by the manufacturer, so customers will be informed about the results of remote diagnostics. This will make the operation much easier and all faults will be immediately visible. Users will be notified about breakdowns or upcoming services, will be notified about the need to visit a car service and, if necessary, will be able to pre-order the necessary parts