Don’t worry, Techzle hasn’t changed to Busweek. Still, we like to pay attention to the Jewel E, a fully electric double-decker that seems to fit perfectly into the London streetscape.
Several double-decker buses are on the road in London, but the Wrightbus diesel hybrid New Routemaster launched in 2011 is the best-known example (photo 8). Although such an electrified double-decker was already a big deal for the year in which the New Routemaster was presented, the arrival of fully electric city buses is now being considered. That’s where this electric double-decker bus comes in: the Jewel E.
The Jewel E is an electric double-decker from Equipmake, an English company that specializes in electric powertrains. Equipmake has engaged the Spanish bus builder Beulas for the rest of the electrically powered double-decker. Beulas is currently already selling a bus called Jewel. Depending on its exact configuration, the Jewel E has an electric powertrain up to 545 hp and 3,500 Nm, which draws its energy from a maximum 543 kWh battery pack. According to its creators, the double-decker should be able to travel about 400 kilometers with it. According to Equipmake, the range is large enough to be used as a city bus for a day. At night, it can be fully charged again with a fast charger.
Equipmake wants to test the Jewel E in practice at the end of this year, production should start next year. According to the company, the Jewel E meets all the requirements set by the authorities in the Transport for London (TFL) plans that will be launched from 2024.
– Thanks for information from Techzle.nl