BYD-Castrosua presents first electric city bus
BYD has presented the first electric bus jointly developed with the Spanish chassis builder Castrosua. Both companies signed a manufacturing partnership last year. The first units of the electric bus will soon be in use in Spain.
The BYD-Castrosua electric city bus is twelve metres long and offers space for up to 92 passengers. It has a battery capacity of 422 kWh for a range of more than 450 kilometres. This would make it a very efficient bus, depending on the season and area of use, consumption in the twelve-metre segment is 100 kWh/100km or more.
The basis for the model is an electric bus chassis from BYD, which the Chinese manufacturer presented last autumn at the IAA Transportation in Hanover. The chassis uses BYD’s own LFP batteries and a new 6-in-1 controller that “integrates the entire ecosystem of the bus to improve reliability, operational performance and energy efficiency”, according to the manufacturer. Advanced thermal management of the battery is said to guarantee optimal operation in various climates.
An adapted version of Castrosua’s ‘Nelec’ chassis was placed on top of this BYD base. As BYD now announces, the body was adapted to the chassis with the help of 3D models. The usual customisation options of the ‘Nelec’ chassis have been retained, and the production, repair and maintenance processes have been “streamlined”.
The vehicle will also be exhibited at the UITP Summit in Barcelona at the beginning of June, BYD has its stand in Hall 7.
“We are very pleased to be collaborating with Castrosua and the unveiling of this debut model is an exciting milestone for the partnership between both companies,” said Javier Contijoch, Vice President eBus Sales at BYD Europe. “BYD strongly believes in strategic localised partnerships. We recognise this as being key to providing clients with the reassurance of local, knowledgeable customer service and support.”
Juan Luis Castro, President of Castrosua Group, added: “This alliance has allowed us to build this first proposal that will undoubtedly be a benchmark in the market, an attractive and needed proposal, since it adds the experience of an excellent craftsman who has created the best bodywork, with the strength and capacity of a great company, long time world leader in electromobility, which provides the best electric platform.”
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