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Vehicles fitted with ZAwheel from Ziehl-Abegg put on show by bus manufacturers at Busworld

“Electromobility protects the environment, is quiet and works” says Ralf Arnold. The Managing Director of Ziehl-Abegg Automotive makes reference to a number of city bus manufacturers in Europe who are successfully incorporating the ZAwheel gearless in wheel hub drive. Electric buses from various manufacturers were on show at Busworld in Kortrijk (Belgium).

The message from Ziehl-Abegg at Busworld is clear: electromobility in the area of public passenger transport is a tried and tested technology and in operation in several European cities. At an international press conference on 16 October two experts will be reporting on the practicality of city buses fitted with ZAwheel in use on scheduled routes (14:30, Hall 4, Stand 429)..

Intelligent charging technology allows for smooth integration into diesel vehicles

In the spring, Eckhard Schläfke, Operations Manager Public Utilities Department Münster (Germany) commissioned five electric buses into operation as part of the ZeEUS Project. How can a local authority integrate five electric vehicles into an existing fleet of diesel vehicles? The Public Utilities Department has installed quick charge stations in the Public Utilities Department depot as well as at the two bus termini. These stations use the quick charge process to recharge the batteries on the roof of the vehicles during the normal scheduled waiting period. Referring to the battery reserve, Schläfke says that “even if there is no time to charge the battery, e.g. because of delays, the bus can continue operating". Thanks to the charging stations being located at the termini and the efficient ZAwheel drive, the dimensions of the batteries have been kept to a minimum; the vehicle weighs hardly any more than a conventional bus

Does electromobility work in cold regions? For CEO Jonas Hansson, this is not a problem. His company Hybricon Bus Systems AB builds electric city buses especially for cold regions: with extra insulated cabin and floor, heat regeneration, air curtains at the entrance, specially insulated windows, and also with the gearless in wheel hub drive from Ziehl-Abegg. “We don’t even use the Stroco heater”, says Hansson. The buses can be heated 100 percent with electricity at minus 25 degrees Celsius. “Our technology is so good and the positive experience in the north of Sweden has prompted the City of Umea to order 8 more city buses”, emphasizes Jonas Hansson.

After years of waiting and testing Ralf Arnold believes the hour for electric city buses has now come: "The time is ripe, the political pressure is there - and we have the right drive solution to meet the need." In every comparison test the ZAwheel gearless in wheel hub drive is clearly the front runner in terms of noise characteristics, efficiency and operating costs. By not having any gears the ZAwheel also scores over diesel-powered vehicles and hybrid buses in terms of life-cycle costs

The gearless in wheel hub drive from Ziehl-Abegg is now fitted as standard by several European bus manufacturers: VDL Bus & Coach (The Netherlands), Hybricon Bus Systems (Sweden), Ekova Electric (Czech Republic), Troliga (Slovakia), Lider Trading (Poland), ebe Europa (Germany).

‘One-stop shopping’ for electro retrofitting saves time

There is increasing interest amongst fleet operators in the electric retrofitting of conventionally powered city buses (diesel, gas) with ZAwheel. “In this context the companies are looking for a single project planner and conversion partner”, reports Arnold. Ziehl-Abegg meets this requirement from two aspects: any standard bus 10.5 and 12 to 18 metres in length can be easily converted into an electric bus with ZAwheel by being retrofitted with the new ZAaxle drivetrain module. In addition, in Benteler Engineering Services (Munich), there is another company that offers an all-round, worry-free retrofitting: package, from system analysis and/or design, to conversion; even the homologation is offered at Benteler Engineering Services on a ‘one-stop shopping basis’