Tata Motors is looking to enter the double decker bus segment. To this end, India’s largest commercial vehicle maker has patented a design for an electric double decker bus.
Tata’s Double Decker Electric Bus : More Details
While more details are not yet known, it is possible that Tata’s bus will measure 2,340 mm wide and have a wheelbase of 4,920 mm. The floor height could be 900 mm. These numbers are what current bus manufacturers are opting for in their vehicles deployed in cities.
Tata already offers an electric bus in the Starbus line-up. This is however a single decker bus and gets a 124 kWh battery with a range of 150 km. The top speed is 75 km/h. Meanwhile the Starbus 12m bus gets a 250 kWh battery with a 200 km range.
Coming to the power train, the bus could use a 245 kW peak and 145 kW continuous electric motor(s) good 3,000 Nm peak and 1,145 Nm continuous torque.
Demand for Double Deck buses
Thanks to inherent nature, a double decker bus has a smaller footprint while allowing a higher number of passengers. In cities like Mumbai, the current buses are already overcrowded during peak hours. Hence, the need of the hour is increased capacity yet while keeping the number of buses low.
Mumbai’s BEST is currently trialling Switch EV’s electric double decker bus. If all goes to plan, the public transporter might consider increasing its fleet of double decker buses. Switch EV worked upon a 9m single decker bus and made it into a double decker bus. The Ashok Leyland concern reworked the chassis, suspension and body of the bus. Tata is likely to use this method as well.
Switch EiV22 : More Details
The Switch electric double-decker comes with a lightweight aluminium body construction. The company claims to ferry nearly twice the number of seated passengers as a comparable single decker bus with just 18 percent increase in kerb weight. In addition to this, the bus also boasts of wide front and rear doors, two staircases and an emergency door complying with the latest safety standards.
Switch EiV 22 equips a 231 kWh capacity, 2-string, liquid-cooled, higher density NMC battery pack. This battery pack comes with a dual gun charging system. Switch claims a range of up to 250 kms for intra-city applications with this battery pack.
Also Read – Switch delivers EiV 22 electric double decker buses to BEST.