Scania in Sweden has announced the addition of a new three axle battery electric bus chassis variant that features its recently launched e-machine and charging options, along with new rear axle options.
The Swedish Traton subsidiary said it now provides bus operators with a compelling alternative for electrifying transport operations beyond purely urban applications.
The company claims it has expanded its e-mobility offering by launching a 6×2*4 variant on its battery-electric bus platform, which it first introduced in 2023.
The company says the new low-entry variant is designed to meet the demands of medium and heavy-duty operations, and claims that its increased passenger capacity compared to the existing 4×2 LE BEV, makes it suitable for city, suburban and shorter intercity routes.
The new three-axle variant is said to offer a competitive solution that is both efficient and highly reliable, using a new rear axle as well as the recently launched Scania e-machine and charging interface, all of which the company points out are also available for the existing two-axle variant,
Scania claims the new electric chassis is built to deliver maximum performance under tough conditions throughout its service life, while it says that its flexibility allows for adaptations to further fit both bodybuilder needs as well as customer demands.
The company says the bus’ axle gears are designed for the best possible energy efficiency and long service life.
It claims that two new axle gears come with faster gear ratios and reduced internal losses, as well as bringing improved efficiency.
In addition the new rear axle is designed to match with a new steered tag axle situated behind the half shaft, while saying that steering using the last axle helps to distribute weight better and reduce the wear and tear of the tyres.
Scania claims there are a number of key benefits to customers using the new 6×2*4 LE BEV variant in daily electric transport operations.
The company says that a robust chassis design helps increase the vehicle’s durability and extends its service life, while the flexible adaptation to specific applications makes a huge improvement to overall efficiency.
It also said that the enhanced sub-frame of the bus minimises noise levels and improves driveability, while making for a more comfortable journey for passengers and drivers.
Scania claims that the positioning of the vehicle’s components also make maintenance simpler, while saying that it also reduces costs and boosts operational availability.
Scania’s head of product management for people transport solutions, Carl-Johan Lööf, said that with a completely new e-machine, the new three-axle electric variant is reliable, energy-efficient and powerful.
“This means it provides excellent uptime, range, acceleration and startability, not least on steep slopes, and with the new rear position high-speed charging option and several more power nodes to choose from, it offers flexibility that translates to buses that fit local requirements,” said Lööf.
“As the momentum towards electrification keeps increasing, buses built on this platform will be competitive all around the world and can be utilised to expand electric operations to new types of applications,” he added.
