SCANIA

Scania presents new line of electrified buses in Brazil

Scania presents the K 230E B4x2LB, the brand's first 100% electric bus in the country. The model makes history and begins the Swedish manufacturer's electrification journey in Brazil. The vehicle has a range of between 250 and 300 km, 4x2 traction, urban vocation, options for four or five battery packs, and sales will begin at Lat.Bus 2024 or the Latin American Transport Fair, which will be held from 6 to 8 August at Expo Imigrantes, in São Paulo.

“It is with great pride that we launched the first 100% Scania electric bus in Brazil. We are experiencing a very special year for the brand's history in the country. On the eve of celebrating our 67 years in Brazil, we begin another journey of transformation. The modernity of electrification will be materialized in our factory. From the start of production of the electric bus, in March 2025, Scania will no longer be the same”, says Alex Nucci, director of Solutions Sales at Scania Commercial Operations Brazil.

“Our customers will be invited to embark with us on this new journey at the main Bus Show in Latin America, Lat.Bus, in August. In fact, taking advantage of this, we are going to offer a special launch price condition on Lat.Bus. Furthermore, Scania Banco will offer financing via green funding, the same used for the gas model, with a reference interest rate of 0.79%, very competitive”, he warns. “However, it is necessary to reinforce that our diesel line will continue to be available and deliver the lowest total operating cost, in addition to the gas range. We will complement our already efficient range of mobility solutions. The electrical product reinforces the portfolio and does not replace another energy matrix currently sold”, highlights Nucci.

The director also clarifies that the partnership between Scania, Eletra, Caio (bodywork) and Weg (engine and battery), in another electrical product, signed in 2022, continues normally. “In this business format, Scania only supplies the chassis. They are completely different vehicles”, says Nucci.

The K 230E B4x2LB has a range of 250 to 300 km (already designed in severe-extreme conditions with air conditioning on and irregular topography), and options for four or five battery packs. Its main vocation is urban application, it has 4x2 traction and holds bodies measuring 12 to 14 meters - an average capacity for 80 passengers -, in low or normal floor configuration. “We’ll start with urban 4x2 traction and a power of 230 kW. It will be a normal market learning cycle, analyzing customer demands, how the infrastructure will be developed to serve electric vehicles in Brazil. In other words, it is a journey that does not depend solely on Scania”, reveals Marcelo Gallao, director of Business Development at Scania Commercial Operations Brazil. “The K 230E B4x2LB has an imported Scania electric engine, Scania gearbox and Scania-Northvolt battery.”

The electric machine offers 230 kW (equivalent to 310 hp). It is an engine connected to a two-speed transmission. “It will modulate these two gears and connect to the rear axle. The bus has a 130 kW charger, with a charging capacity of 150 to 170 minutes,” he comments. The propellant is called EMC 1-2, has continuous power of 230 kW at 1,750 rpm, torque of 2,200 Nm at 0 rpm (flat curve in continuous regime) and peak power of 300 kW at 1,400 rpm. “In the traditional combustion engine, maximum torque is obtained after continuous acceleration. This tram is different. It already develops peak torque at zero rpm, that is, as soon as it leaves a standstill,” says Gallao.

The engine has a simple construction and design for easy maintenance. Therefore, its maintenance cost is lower compared to internal combustion engines. There is also another advantage: less noise, which increases smoothness during operation. The two-speed transmission brings greater comfort and efficiency on hills and uneven roads.

In the charging interface, it transforms the energy it receives from an external charger, which will initially be imported. “We are already evaluating market chargers, which are around 150 to 180 kW. We will have the freedom to develop a solution locally”, explains Gallao. The charger provides greater safety when recharging, reducing the risk of accidents. The maintenance system is simple to reduce the cost of replacements due to damage to the charging interface.

The rear module was resized and reinforced to accommodate not only the engine, but also the battery... The batteries in this product will be NMC (lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt), different from most of those currently used on the market, which are LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate). NMC batteries have a higher charge density, which means less total vehicle weight and, consequently, more capacity to transport passengers. A big advantage is the fact that the batteries will be modular, facilitating load distribution, with 104 kW packages. “We will give the customer the choice of equipping the product with four or five battery packs. This way, we will be able to configure the batteries in options of three packages on the roof and one at the bottom of the bus, or four batteries on the roof and one in the rear position”, says Gallao.

The batteries will be imported from Sweden via a partnership between Scania and Northvolt, which jointly develop them for electric vehicles, in an agreement signed in 2017, between the leaders in sustainability. In 2023, Scania opened a new battery factory in Södertälje, Sweden, where battery cells are assembled for heavy-duty electric trucks and buses.

Autonews