The current discussion about diesel vehicles is heating up people’s minds. Especially when it is said that older diesel cars should be excluded from city traffic. Practicable solutions are needed. But what happens to diesel buses in urban traffic? Due to the high emission values, municipalities are under pressure to take action. Operators of bus fleets are therefore looking for alternatives with electric vehicles, for example. The Munich-based company In-Tech has taken up this problem with its E-Trofit solution and offers an interesting alternative.
Convert diesel bus
Of course, bus companies could exchange their fleets for electric vehicles. But this would hardly be financially feasible because the acquisition costs are too high. In addition, functioning vehicles would have to be phased out – this would be neither economical nor sustainable. So why not convert diesel buses to electric buses? The idea is simple but good: that would have the advantage that the bus fleet could continue to be operated. The difference is that they operate as environmentally friendly electric buses.
Replace the drive
To turn a diesel bus into an electric vehicle, the drive has to be replaced. For this purpose, In-Tech has brought on board a partner in the form of system supplier ZF Aftermarket. On the one hand, the company offers the necessary driveline components and expertise for the conversion, on the other hand, it also has access to a worldwide network. ZF Aftermarket, which belongs to ZF Friedrichshafen AG, acts as a service and trading partner for In-Tech. According to its own information, ZF Friedrichshafen AG is the second largest automotive supplier worldwide.
ZF Aftermarket uses AxTrax AVE electric portal axles and CeTrax electric central drives to turn a diesel into an electric bus. According to the company, these can be installed directly in the existing vehicle platforms. Larger modifications to the chassis, axles, or differential are not necessary. Therefore, according to In-Tech, up to 50 percent of the costs can be saved compared to the purchase of a new electric bus.
Pilot project in Landshut
A first converted electric bus is already in use. A pilot project was implemented in Landshut for this purpose. At the e-mobility trade fair eMove360, which takes place from 16 to 18 October in Munich, In-Tech wants to present the project with Stadtwerke Landshut. Then the electric bus can also be visited.
Photo: In-Tech
