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Planning to Establish in Brazilian Territory, Chinese Higer Bus Will Conduct Tests with Its Electric Bus Model in SP. The Model Is 12.2 Meters Long and Can Transport Up to 70 Passengers
The Chinese electric bus manufacturer Higer Bus has confirmed its plans to start producing vehicles in Brazil in 2023, after the regular import phase of the first vehicles starting in the first half of next year. This year, the company will begin road tests in Brazil. The chosen electric bus model is the Azure A12BR, which will be incorporated into São Paulo’s (SP) bus fleet on an experimental basis. The vehicle’s street testing will be conducted by SPTrans, which is responsible for overseeing public transport in the municipality.
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Get to Know Higer Bus’s Electric Bus Better
The model is 12.2 meters long and is entirely powered by electric batteries. It can accommodate up to 70 passengers and is equipped with low floors, air conditioning, air suspension, USB chargers for passengers, and the ability to connect to the internet via Wi-Fi.
The electric bus from the Chinese manufacturer has a range of 270 km, and its charging time is 3 hours. In the first phase, the electric buses from Higer Bus will be imported to SP through TX Motors, a clean transportation solutions company created to provide after-sales services and spare parts as well as vehicle imports.
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Alongside local component suppliers, a technology transfer program will commence in January, along with training for drivers and maintenance teams.
Chinese Manufacturer Invests US$ 10 Million in South America
According to Higer Bus’s general director for South America, Marcelo Barella, the company has committed to making initial investments of US$ 10 million alongside C40 in the Zebra project to create production infrastructures to address the significant potential of the Brazilian market.
C40 Cities is a group of the largest cities in the world focused on climate leadership. Zebra stands for – Zero Emission Bus Rapid Deployment Accelerator, in English. The new electric buses will be offered to operators through leasing contracts.
According to Barella, this is an important boost for fleet renewal, as the monthly package already includes battery replacement every 8 years and the maintenance structure for electric buses in SP.
In Addition to Buses, SP Will Also Have Electric Vans
Starting in January next year, an Azure from Higer Bus for charter will arrive, which has the same range as the urban bus, and in the first half, the first electric passenger and cargo vans are expected to arrive in SP.
The final stage will be the nationalization of the parts supply within two years, so that the plans to establish a local production unit can be completed. Marcelo stated that the suppliers of the Chinese company have established factories in the country, such as Dana, ZF, Valeo, Bosch, and Siemens. This will ensure easy access to parts to reduce costs and maintenance.
By 2023, Higer Bus plans to use components manufactured in Brazilian territory to complete the assembly of the buses. This ensures essential technology transfer to Brazil.
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