The Brazilian company Agrale will contribute to the development of the new double-decker electric bus in London. The vehicle promises to revolutionize the automotive market with its autonomy of 402 km  

British commercial vehicle electrification specialist Equipmake has joined forces with Spanish coachbuilder Beulas and Brazilian coachbuilder Agrale to launch a double-decker electric bus, offering a “world-leading” range of up to 400km.  

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Jewel-E electric double-decker bus plans to start testing with a range of 400 km  

The state-of-the-art electric bus was designed and manufactured by Beulas in Spain, and is based on Equipmake's Zero Emission Drivetrain (ZED) and its patented highly efficient heating and cooling system, which keeps the ZED at an optimal operating temperature.

Scheduled to be built at a new factory in Norfolk ahead of testing in early 2022, the new electric double-decker bus will contribute to the UK government's commitment to transition to fully zero-emissions buses, part of its strategy." Bus Back Better” .

Since 2019, Agrale and Equipmake have been working together to supply conventional electric buses (single-floor) to the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Jewel E ZED bus chassis features Equipmake's HTM 3500 motor, which delivers a peak torque of 3.500 Nm at just 1.000 rpm and a peak power of 400 kW. Its power comes from a variety of customer-specified Li-Ion batteries available up to 543 kWh.

Companies involved in the development of the first double-decker electric bus

Beulas is a bus manufacturer based in Girona, Catalonia, Spain, with nearly ninety years of experience building buses. As one of Europe's leading transporters, it's no wonder that Beulas is adapting its fleet offerings for a zero-emissions future.  

Equipmake is a UK based powertrain developer with over twenty years of experience. In addition to being a leader in ultra-high-performance electric motors, Equipmake also offers complete electric transmissions and ultra-fast power electronics systems – like those of a double-decker electric bus.

Agrale initially assembled small tractors and mechanical cultivators, under license from the German brand Bungartz. However, Agrisa was unable to establish itself economically and filed for bankruptcy. Currently, Agrale is a Brazilian automobile industry, headquartered in Caxias do Sul, in Rio Grande do Sul, where it maintains three industrial parks, in addition to a production unit in São Mateus, in Espírito Santo, and another in Mercedes, in Argentina.

London will transition to 100% zero emissions buses

Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, announced this week that all new buses ordered into the city's transport system from this point onwards will be zero-emissions vehicles – that is, they will be powered by batteries or hydrogen fuel cells.  

The announcement means that the target of making London's bus fleet 100% zero emissions will now be achieved by 2034 – three years earlier than previously planned.  

The electric double-decker buses will be ordered over the next year and a half – 25% in 6 months, another 25% in 12 months and the rest in 18 months. When all buses are delivered, the agency's bus fleet will be 50% electric. To meet the loading requirements of the new buses, BEST will increase the number of depots with chargers from 4 to 27.