Daimler shows off pure-electric school bus
Silent, zero-tailpipe emission bus can carry 81 kids and cover up to 160km between chargesA subsidiary of German car-making giant, Daimler, has revealed an all-new pure-electric bus for the US market.
The new battery-powered school bus, called the Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley and presented under the Thomas Built Buses brand, was unveiled at the United States National Association for People Transportation Annual Conference.
Powered, presumably, by Daimler's all-new pure-electric powertrain technology it is developing for trucks, the Jouley (named after Joules -- the unit for energy) comes equipped with a powerful 160kWh lithium-ion battery pack that's claimed to provide a realistic range of 160km.
If needed, an even larger battery can be fitted -- hinting that the US bus maker (and Daimler) is readying the tech for other applications, including a long-range big-rig to rival the truck that Tesla will unveil in a matter of days.
Set to go on sale in 2019, the new Jouley bus will also come with an advanced telematics system that provides real-time vehicle monitoring for operators.
It's thought that as well as ultra-low running costs, the Jouley will appeal to schools and bus operators by lowering their carbon footprint, and those worried about localised air quality.
As well as being near silent on the move, the Jouley bus could also act as an impromptu generator if there's a power outage.
The US bus builder hasn't released pricing for what's claimed to be the world's first pure-electric school bus.
In the US, sales of school buses peaked at an incredible 36,241 -- the highest volume since 2007. Of those sales, Thomas Built Buses holds an incredible 38.7 per cent market share.
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