EV double decker set for London trials

Run in conjunction with Go Ahead – London’s largest bus operator – the trials will be the first to feature a vehicle that conforms to the latest Transport for London (TfL) bus safety standard specifications and requirements for 2024. The UK has a target of introducing 4,000 zero-emission buses to its roads by 2024, with global EV bus demand expected to grow to one million units per year by 2030.

Equipmake launches Jewel E EV double decker bus

Jewel E features a body produced by Spain’s Beulas and a chassis designed by Argentina’s Agrale but will be both powered and assembled by the UK’s Equipmake at a brand-new facility in its Norfolk home. The company’s Zero Emission Drivetrain (ZED) is at the heart of the vehicle, comprising battery, motor, inverter and thermal management system.

A modular lithium-ion battery design comes in three options: 325kWh, 434kWh and 543kWh. The latter has a claimed range of 300 miles and is said to be the most the most powerful battery solution of any two-axle EV double decker anywhere in the world, and easily enough to tackle a day’s duty in the UK’s capital. Batteries can be charged overnight at bus depots using a CSS DC charging point.