Industry pioneer BYD Motors recently unveiled the first long-range battery-electric bus — the BYD C9 — at the United Motorcoach Association Expo in New Orleans.
The +190-miles range of the C9 puts BYD’s new offering in a category all its own as far as electric buses go — extending the potential uses of such buses far beyond immediate urban environments.
The C9 — as revealed at the expo, not necessarily the final version — is 40′ long and can seat up to 47 people. And it possesses, as previously stated, a single-charge range of over 190 miles, and a top speed of 62.5 mph when on the highway.
Here are some further specs via Gas2:
The new coach uses the proprietary BYD in-wheel drive axle with two 180 kW brushless AC synchronous motors, each capable of more than 1,100 lb-ft of torque. The 365 kWh lithium-ion iron phosphate battery pack can be recharged in less than 2 hours by way of a 200 kW charging system. The company says the battery will retain up to 80% of its capacity over its 12 year useful service life.
BYD is also making plans to bring two other battery powered buses to market in 2015. The three axle C10 is 45′ long, seats 58 and has the same propulsion system. It has a larger 394 kWh battery that can be recharged in 1.3 hours using a 300 kW charger. It has the same 190 mile range as the standard size C9.
As well as those 2 models, BYD is planning to release a compact 23′ coach, dubbed the C6. The C6 will reportedly seat up to 21 people, and possess a single-charge range of 125 miles. It will utilize a 180 kW electric motor and has a 152 kWh battery. It requires around 2 hours to charge via a 100 kW charger.
When all 3 models are taken together, they pretty much cover the field to my eyes, as far as long-range buses go — there’s something for everyone. All of the models will reportedly be available worldwide.
Image Credit: BYD Motors
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