Electric coach with a range of over 500 km: Daimler Buses is testing technology platforms
Image: Daimler Truck
Daimler Buses, together with its project partners, has reached an important milestone in the “Electrified Coach” (ELCH) initiative. At the beginning of October, the participants gathered for a final face-to-face consortium meeting in Neu-Ulm. The focus was on a joint test drive using a technology platform developed as part of the project, designed to achieve a range of over 500 kilometers.
The project, funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, is ongoing until the end of the year. Its goal is to develop and validate a market-ready battery-electric tour bus concept. In this process, the partners examine not only the propulsion system and batteries but also energy consumption, aerodynamics, lightweight design, cost-effectiveness, and practical applicability in tour operations.
The trip to Neu-Ulm served to test and validate the technical concepts under real-world conditions. Additionally, the participants discussed the project’s progress to date and agreed on the next steps leading up to its completion.
The consortium includes Daimler Buses, along with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the University of Mannheim (MISES), the Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU), and Flix SE. KIT focuses on analyzing and processing vehicle data as well as optimizing operational strategies, while RPTU explores opportunities in lightweight design and aerodynamics. MISES evaluates the cost-effectiveness and competitiveness of battery-electric coach concepts for various usage scenarios. Flix provides real operational and usage data from long-distance bus services and supports the development of practical application and driving cycles.
The results of this project are intended to serve as an important foundation for further electrification of the coach segment at Daimler Buses. The company aims to offer battery-electric coaches by the end of the decade. The insights gained from ELCH will be incorporated into the further development of corresponding vehicle concepts and technologies.
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Thomas Langenbucher is an expert in electromobility with professional experience in the automotive industry and finance sector. Since 2011, he has been covering electric vehicles, sustainable technologies, and mobility solutions for ecomento.de. Learn more.
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