Remember the good old double decker buses we used to see in various cities a decade back? These are set to return and the first city to get these buses will be Mumbai. And keeping in mind with modern times and electric mobility, these buses will be full electric! Switch Mobility, part of the Ashok Leyland group has showcased the EiV 22 bus that will be used by BEST (Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport) as an efficient public transport mode. This also makes the Switch EiV 22 is India’s first electric double-decker air-conditioned bus. The brand believes it will revolutionize public transportation in the country and will set new standards in the intra-urban bus market.
This electric double decker bus is powered by a 231 kWh capacity, 2-string, liquid-cooled, higher density NMC chemistry battery pack with a dual gun charging system. Switch claims that the bus will offer a range of up to 250 km for intra-city applications. The company has already secured an order of 200 electric double-decker buses for Mumbai and is looking forward to dominating the sector with the electric double-decker bus, across key regions in the country.
The Switch EiV 22 electric double decker bus is indeed a great achievement in terms of packaging. It is the world’s first standard floor-based, air-conditioned electric double-decker bus with a wider door on the rear overhang as well as in the rear staircase. Further, the vehicle is constructed on a lightweight aluminium body which will surely offer a higher passenger-to-weight ratio and fuel efficiency.
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With contemporary styling and feel-good interiors and exteriors, the double decker boasts of wide front and rear doors, two staircases and an emergency door complying with the latest safety standards. The AC offers effective cooling in India’s hot climatic conditions, while the optimized seating for 65 passengers is the maximum number of seats to be offered in the given footprint. Each seat has a lightweight cushion and the interiors come with car like comfort for passenger convenience. This state-of-the-art electric double decker serves as an ideal solution for urban commuting, as they occupy less road, terminal and depot floor space per seated passenger.
Not many would remember but it was Ashok Leyland that first launched the double-decker in 1967 in Mumbai and its electric mobility arm, Switch is now carrying forward that legacy. Switch already sells double decker buses internationally including in the UK.
