The Swedish firm is advertising the brand new Volvo 8900 Electrical as an all-electric low-entry bus for city, intercity and commuter transport. It’s out there in two lengths (12.3 or 14.9 metres) and might be geared up with 4 to 6 battery packs with 90 kWh every, giving a most complete vitality content material of 540 kWh. The electrical drive is obtainable both as a single-motor model with 200 kW or a dual-motor model with 400 kW.
The 8900 Electrical intercity bus is the primary mannequin on the BZR Electrical platform. It enhances Volvo’s 7900 Electrical metropolis bus, which is predicated on Volvo’s combined platform for low-floor autos. The latter is obtainable as a diesel, CNG, hybrid or purely electrical solo and articulated bus. As a BEV, it has a battery capability of as much as 470 or 565 kWh (18.7 m variant).
As talked about, the 8900 Electrical, introduced for 2025, will probably be out there in two physique lengths. The 2-axle model, with an total size of 12.3 metres, affords house for 88 passengers, 43 of whom are seated. A 14.9 metre-long three-axle model can carry 110 passengers, 57 of whom are seated. The gross automobile weight ranking for the smaller 8900 is 20.6 tonnes, and 27 tonnes for the longer model. The width and top of each variants are equivalent at 2.55 and three.6 metres. The wheelbase differs by 90 centimetres (three-axle: 7m; two-axle: 6.1m).
In keeping with Volvo, the battery packs weigh 535 kilograms every. The shorter 8900 can maintain 4 or 5 packs, that means 360 or 450 kWh. The longer intercity bus is designed for 4 to 6 packs, which permits a most capability of 540 kWh along with 360 and 450. Volvo doesn’t present any info on the vary. Nonetheless, it does specify that it makes use of batteries with NCA chemistry. As well as, the charging port might be ordered on the left or proper.
BZR Electrical to supply “excellent versatility”
With the 8900 Electrical, Volvo Buses additionally introduced the brand new platform on which the electrical bus is predicated, the BZR Electrical. The producer states that it’s the results of a “Volvo Group frequent structure.” Volvo had already introduced an electrical chassis in 2021, which was referred to as BZL Electrical (L as an alternative of R, notably) and was designed for solo and double-decker buses. The 2 have little in frequent apart from the same title and the drive energy (200 and 400 kW).
The BZR Electrical helps autos with a size of 9.5 to 14.9 metres and a most nominal battery capability of 540 kWh. This exhibits that Volvo’s new intercity bus absolutely utilises the 600-volt platform. The centrepiece is an electrical motor coupled with a two-stage automated transmission with 200 kW or 400 kW within the dual-motor variant. In keeping with the producer, buses based mostly on the BZR Electrical might be charged each by way of cable with as much as 250 kW DC and optionally by way of OppCharge with a most of 450 kW, thanks to 2 completely different {hardware} interfaces. The Volvo 8900 Electrical introduced above additionally affords this selection.
In keeping with Volvo, the BZR Electrical helps autos as much as a gross automobile weight of 27.2 tonnes and is “a productiveness platform for metropolis, intercity and commuter operations. Low-entry or medium ground, single or twin motors, modular vitality storage, and two- or three-axle variations.” On this context, the corporate consult with the “excellent versatility” of the brand new product.
In the meantime, the physique of the Volvo 8900 Electrical is produced by Manufacturing Industrial Automobiles (MCV). Volvo Buses determined final 12 months to now not manufacture full buses itself in Europe sooner or later. An settlement signed final spring stipulates that MCV will manufacture the our bodies underneath licence from mid-2024. On the time, Volvo Buses and MCV additionally introduced that they needed to develop an electrical vary for intercity buses collectively. The results of this cooperation has now been unveiled within the type of the 8900.
Volvo Buses will proceed manufacturing the chassis, together with the electrical drives, within the two Swedish crops in Borås and Uddevalla. Nonetheless, the Volvo plant in Wroclaw, Poland, the place the our bodies for the chassis are presently produced, will shut in Q1/2024. Then again, the our bodies with bodywork and inside will probably be produced by MCV in future.
MCV, or Manufacturing Industrial Automobiles, is an organization from Egypt that, as reported, additionally desires to realize a foothold in Germany with its personal electrical metropolis bus. MCV has crops in Egypt, Singapore, and South Africa. It was as soon as based as Daimler’s basic company. Since 2006, MCV has been producing autos underneath its personal model title, that are largely based mostly on chassis from different producers – akin to Mercedes-Benz, but additionally Volvo Buses.
Nonetheless, the cooperation is just not unique: in parallel to the partnership with MCV, Volvo Buses says it’s trying into partnerships with different producers.
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