SUSTAINABLE BUS 2-2023
Topics? A clear picture of fundings available for zero emission buses in UK, an insight on the fuel cell bus market, a glimpse of the largest electric bus fleet in Middle East (hint: Mowasalat). Again: focus on safety precautions in H2 bus depots, a commentary on the market for second hand e-buses (and battery residual value). Finally: technical presentations of VDL Citea new generation (cover story!), Iveco Bus Crossway LE CNG, Rampini Hydron (and new zero emission bus range)
Topics? A clear picture of fundings available for zero emission buses in UK, an insight on the fuel cell bus market, a glimpse of the largest electric bus fleet in Middle East (hint: Mowasalat). Again: focus on safety precautions in H2 bus depots, a commentary on the market for second hand e-buses (and battery residual value).
Finally: technical presentations of VDL Citea new generation (cover story!), Iveco Bus Crossway LE CNG, Rampini Hydron (and new zero emission bus range)
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT<br />
IVECO CROSSWAY LE HYBRID<br />
OUT OF TOWN<br />
The Crossway Low Entry in mild<br />
hybrid version will soon be available<br />
with CNG engine. Is this a convincing<br />
answer to questions on energy<br />
transition in intercity bus service?<br />
From Urbanway to Crossway. The mild hybrid<br />
presence in the Iveco Bus catalog is<br />
expanding and the ‘intended use’ is broadening:<br />
a mild hybrid version of the Crossway,<br />
in the LE Line version - the most popular Low Entry<br />
in Europe - is now available.<br />
The world premiere was held at the FIAA at the end<br />
of 2022, where a 12-meter model equipped with 43<br />
Lineo seats and two folding seats was on display.<br />
Overall capacity? 71 passengers. Iveco’s approach to<br />
mild hybrid is distinguished by the availability of the<br />
CNG engine - mild hybrid module combo. A version<br />
that is expected to be in production by this year.<br />
Technologies on the rise<br />
It is a fact, moreover, that both mild hybrid and CNG<br />
are technologies on the rise. The first decreed the almost<br />
total abandonment of full hybrid projects (not<br />
to mention plug-ins...) and saw a 17 percent increase<br />
in volumes in Europe between 2020 and 2021 (from<br />
2,917 hybrids to 3,270), with a further increase expected<br />
in 2022. The second, although it remains at<br />
stationary volumes, is breaking through in Class II:<br />
registrations of gas-powered buses for intercity routes<br />
increased by 60 percent in 2021 compared to the<br />
previous year (from 539 to 864).<br />
However, questions are not lacking: the equipment<br />
necessary for an alternative drive intercity bus (whether<br />
the cylinder pack or the battery pack) is not<br />
always compatible with a vehicle that must comply<br />
with stricter European regulations than those dedicated<br />
to city buses (for example, we may mention the<br />
superstructure resistance, the presence of hatches on<br />
the roof, the anchoring of seats, etc.). Not to mention<br />
the great importance of smaller buses, where the<br />
availability of alternative drives is even further away.<br />
Getting down to specifics, Crossway LE could not<br />
fail to benefit from the new Voith automatic gear-<br />
The Crossway LE, similarly<br />
to the Urbanway, abandons<br />
the compact Tector<br />
engine to propose only<br />
the Cursor 9 in the two<br />
power supply variants.<br />
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