Agrale Launches Equipmake Developed State-of-the-art Battery Electric Bus in Buenos Aires
A new Agrale electric bus, developed by electrification specialist Equipmake in collaboration with the brand’s Argentine-Brazilian automaker, and featuring the company’s latest-generation zero-emission powertrain, was launched in Buenos Aires.
A new Agrale electric bus, developed by electrification specialist Equipmake in collaboration with the brand’s Argentine-Brazilian automaker, and featuring the company’s latest-generation zero-emission powertrain, was launched in Buenos Aires.
Debuted in the context of the C40 World Mayors Conference, held from October 19 to 21 in the Argentine capital, the zero-emission Agrale MT17.0 LEe bus was one of the stars of the event, which brought together mayors from around the world, as well as leading decision makers, with the objective of showing innovative sustainability solutions.
Following successful tests by the Agrale manufacturer in Argentina, the new bus will now begin in-service trials on the streets of Buenos Aires. Having committed to halving its carbon emissions by 2030 and becoming completely carbon neutral by 2050, Buenos Aires sees electric buses as playing a crucial role in supporting its climate commitments.
The Equipmake-powered Agrale MT17.0 LEe is a 12m single deck model capable of carrying 70 passengers and will be operated for the next 12 months by DOTA S.A., the largest bus operator in Buenos Aires.
The drivetrain has been developed as part of the Advanced Propulsion Centre-funded CELEB (Cost Effective Low Entry Bus) project, in which Equipmake has led multiple international partners over the last three years, with the objective being to deliver a cost-effective bus designed for the South American market.
Working with Argentine-Brazilian bus manufacturer Agrale and Argentine coachbuilder Todo Bus, Equipmake developed, from ground-up, an electric version of the single-deck Agrale MT17.0 LE, installing its own Zero Emission Drivetrain (ZED).
The new vehicle features a bespoke Equipmake ZED with a 318kWh lithium-ion battery, Equipmake’s own HTM 3500 electric motor, producing 3,500Nm of torque at 1,000rpm and a maximum power of 400kW, seamlessly integrated into the prop shaft without the need for a separate transmission, and the Semikron SKAI inverter.
Equipmake estimates that the new electric Agrale MT17.0LEe will have a range of up to 150 miles (240km), more than enough for a day’s use in Buenos Aires. When the battery is depleted at the end of a complete duty cycle, it can be recharged in the depot overnight via a CSS2 DC charging point.
Following the successful completion of the test, the objective is for mass manufacturing to begin in Buenos Aires with Agrale and Todo Bus, using the licensed Equipmake ZED technology, with the wider ambition of bringing state-of-the-art electrification to other South American countries, in line with the collaboration agreement between the company and Agrale included in the admission document dated 22 July 2022.
