Heuliez Charges into the Electric Bus Party with the GX ELEC
It gives me great pleasure to welcome another player to the electric bus party. We regularly cover the latest and greatest in electric bus news and are excited that another manufacturer is eagerly jumping in — with both axles. French bus manufacturer Heuliez has already demonstrated that it can build hybrid buses, and after producing only 400 hybrids, it is stepping up to take on the real bully on the block by attacking pollution with an all-new fully electric bus. The press release (via Green Car Congress) detailed the work Heuliez has already done to build up its electric cred:
- 1,000-square-meter assembly area dedicated to the assembly and installation of electrical powertrains
- Successful development of proprietary electric drive solutions supported by a variety of patents
- On-site test track to test run vehicles in real-world conditions
- Trained personnel to work on high-voltage equipment
Building on core competencies in bus building and drivetrains, Heuliez has extracted the electric drive components and expertise from its successful hybrids to create this new fully electric platform — the GX ELEC. While the first all-electric bus to come from Heuliez, the GX ELEC features the same safety features and performance that transit operators are accustomed to in today’s conventional fossil fuel and hybrid models. The new model uses the same stainless steel structure which has already been run through rigorous testing and validation to ensure a high-quality product. Like most modern buses, composite panels are then bolted on to keep unnecessary weight to a minimum.
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The new model has been designed from the ground up to integrate seamlessly into any existing fleet with the ability to run all day on a single charge with overnight chargers installed back at the depot.
Heuliez took special care to ensure that its contribution to the electric transport revolution was not perceived as a minor upgrade but that the looks also boldly stated that a major upgrade was in the works. The interior layout is more flexible, as the electrical powertrain and supporting systems are fully integrated into the roof and the rear compartment. This also results in a more spacious interior, which is then highlighted with long-lasting LED lighting.
On the outside, Heuliez added a retro grill that is ironically only available on the electric version, though it is worth noting that it was added intentionally for aesthetics and not for pseudo-utilitarian purposes. The sleek blue beauty also sneaks in modern features with LED low-beam lights and daytime signals lights that are both more energy efficient and longer lasting than conventional light bulbs.
This new entry is yet another exciting step along the way towards a unified global electric transport system, and while details were not shared, I fully expect news of resulting cost savings coming from lower fuel costs and reduced maintenance to be major selling points moving forward.
The video below shows the bus in action and provides a glimpse into the world-class factory where it is built:
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