(^14) ABCApril 2018busnews.com.au
Above:
As well as two
battery modules
on the roof, there
are four modules
in the rear of the
bus as standard
ALL-ELECTRIC CITARO -
ON ITS WAY TO OZ?
AUSTRALIAN BUS OPERATORS are
keenly watching developments
in Germany with the new fully
electric drive, ‘zero-emissions’
Citaro city bus to make its world
debut in September at the 2018
IAA Commercial Vehicles show.
With the start of series
production also taking place this
year, local Daimler insiders were
just shy of confirming to ABC
magazine that the all-electric
Citaro would land in Australia
- pending any ADR, width and
emissions compliance issues
as has greeted previous diesel
Citaros here.
The 12-metre variant is said to
offer, “an impressive and hitherto
unknown standard of energy
efficiency. The intelligent modular
concept for its battery and
charging technology is similarly
compelling.” In the hands of
operators and on the roads here
and in Australasian conditions, all
will be revealed.
On paper, though, it’s an
exciting piece of electric kit and
with the 50,000th example of the
Citaro brand name being sold
of the motors rated at 2 x 125kW
and 2 x 485Nm.
Lithium-ion batteries discharge
a total capacity of up to about
243kWh, split between up to a
maximum of 10 modules. As well
as two battery modules on the
roof, there are four modules in
the rear of the bus as standard.
Bespoke customer requirements
could see a further two or four
battery modules mounted on the
roof, according to Daimler.around the world recently, there
should be ample market interest
globally as to what this new
all-electric Citaro will deliver.
This new addition follows a
strong lineage of Citaro innovation
and usability, joining the more
recent Citaro hybrid and the
gas-powered Citaro NGT.
An electric portal axle with
electric motors at the wheel
hubs forms the basis of the drive
system, with claimed peak output201 NATIONAL SCHOOL BUS SUMMIT
MASSIVE DEMAND for the highly
anticipated, inaugural National Travel
to Learn and School Bus Summit – on
Wednesday, June 27, 2018, in Canberra- means registrations are now open and
delegates are encouraged to act fast,
according to industry insiders.
To be held at the National Convention
Centre, the theme of the Summit is
‘Moving Students - Building a Public and
Active Transport Culture’.
Its purpose? To discuss travel choices to
most effectively get students (no matter
their age) to primary and secondary
schools, TAFES and Universities - in fact,
all forms of education.
It’s about looking beyond the policy
outcome of providing transport services
to deliver access to education and
broaden the policy basis upon which
governments fund these services,
according to Bus Industry Confederation
organisers.
“It’s to identify what other economic,
environmental and societal benefits
there are if we get ‘travel to learn’
transport services right,” BIC executivedirector Michael Apps said. “With the
realities and challenges of massive
urbanisation and rising population in
Australia’s cities and growing regions,
and access to education in rural and
remote Australia upon us, do we
need to rethink and re-design the
fundamental approach to provision of
free or subsidised school services and
concessional student travel? Do we need
to look to the longer term and make
‘travel to learn’ a policy that is about
building a public and active transport
culture for Australia,” he explained.
Further information is available at
http://www.ozebus.com.au, or by emailing
[email protected].
Final registrations will be accepted up
to Friday 22nd June, 2018, depending on
venue capacity.NEWS