Two companies will partner with London’s biggest bus operator to start in-service trials of an new, electric double-decker bus that will be built in Norfolk.
The bus, named the Jewel E, will go into formal, city-based testing at the start of next year. It has been developed by Norwich-based electrification specialist Equipmake and Spanish coachbuilder Beulas.
The Jewel E will use a zero-emissions drivetrain with 2581lb ft of torque and there are three modular battery pack options of 325kWh, 434kWh and 543kWh.
In its highest-capacity form, the Jewel E features the largest battery capacity and longest range of any two-axle double-decker electric bus, with a range of up to 300 miles - said to be enough to complete an entire duty cycle without having to recharge.
“Our Jewel E double-decker bus integrates the latest electric powertrain technologies to result in a highly efficient and cost-effective, purpose-built commercial vehicle, one of the first that meets the increasingly strict Transport for London requirements for buses operating across the capital,” said Ian Foley, managing director of Equipmake.
The firms will work with Go-Ahead, the capital’s largest bus operator. While not the first electric bus in London, the Jewel E is one of the first to meet improved Transport for London bus safety standard requirements for 2024.
"At Go-Ahead London, we believe passionately that converting our fleet from internal combustion power to electric energy will deliver a long-term solution to cut emissions and help provide a clean air environment,” said Richard Harrington, Go-Ahead London’s engineering director.
“To date, we have already saved 700 tonnes of CO2 with our existing electric fleet and opened Europe’s first all-electric bus garage, so we have the necessary infrastructure already in place to seamlessly integrate the Jewel E test programme into our services," Harrington added.
It is hoped the bus will bring jobs to Norfolk while playing a role in helping the government to achieve its target of 4000 British-built zero-emissions buses by 2024. The global electric bus market itself is expected to reach one million vehicles by 2030, up from 300,000.
The bus’s powertrain will be built from 2022 at a brand-new facility in Norfolk, while its body will be produced in Girona, Spain. Its chassis has been developed by Agrale in Buenos Aires, Argentina.