At the show, Voith will introduce the demonstrator bus to the general public, under the motto "Drive New Ways."

The drive system was originally conceptualised as a prototype for a Solaris Urbino Bus, but it can be integrated into vehicles from other manufacturers without restrictions. "The achievable range primarily depends on the battery, which we acquire from an internationally renowned supplier," explains Jürgen Berger, project manager at Voith Turbo GmbH & Co. KG. "We are currently using a lithium-iron-phosphate battery. This battery offers the highest level of reliability, but the electric drive system is designed in such a way that it can work together with any battery technology," says Berger.

 With a torque of 2,250 Newton meters and an output of 260 kilowatts, the liquid-cooled permanent magnet motor with high-efficiency inverter and smart energy management system provides outstanding driving performance and does not require a separate transmission. The system can even efficiently operate heavy articulated buses. The compact design of the drive means that it is not only low in weight but also low in noise emissions and maintenance. The consistently employed lightweight design approach makes it possible to minimize any surplus weight, which in turn has a positive effect on energy consumption and consequently the achievable range. What's more, the targeted brake force recuperation of the drive positively affects mileage. The fact that all components are cooled with water increases reliability and performance and makes it possible to reduce noise emissions during operation.

 The range of the demonstrator bus currently exceeds 200 km. This corresponds to the total daily operation of a conventional city bus line. In the coming years, this range is expected to increase thanks to further developments in battery technology.

 Studies have shown that inner-city traffic is subject to increasing changes, brought on by developments in terms of growing population, air pollution as well as climate change. The demand for environmentally friendly, low-noise drives in public transport is rapidly growing. Added to this is the political pressure, as for example restrictions imposed on nitrogen oxide and noise emissions, meaning that the number of electric drive vehicles will continue to grow in the coming years.

 The concept of mobility must adapt to these circumstances if individual traffic is still to be allowed inside cities in the future. “Especially for the bus fleets of municipal transport services, the time for electro mobility has definitely arrived," says Cornelius Weitzmann, Executive Vice President & CEO Mobility of Voith Turbo GmbH & Co. KG. "As an established and experienced partner of the bus industry, we have acquired an extensive amount of experience in regard to the various drive systems used for buses. With the new electric drive system, we are putting this experience to good use and add yet another milestone in our company history to our portfolio."

Voith is expecting that by 2030, electric drives will have taken up a superior position in the bus fleets of transport operators compared to other drive solutions. Significant growth of the electro mobility market for buses is expected for all regions of the world. In the course of this, the city bus segment is only the first step toward an emission-free city, which will soon enough be followed by other segments of the transport sector.

 Voith also scores top marks when it comes to data capture and analysis, offering an integrated approach and extensive know how from Voith Digital Solutions. "We bring together our innovative technical system approach with our experience in public transport," says Dr. Robert Müller, manager of Strategic Design Market Development at Voith Digital Solutions. "Thanks to our systems, we have obtained two decades worth of elementary data and knowledge regarding driving profiles and cycles within large inner city bus fleets. This is the crucial benefit for operators in the age of intelligent data networking. You want to operate your vehicle fleets efficiently and cost-effectively." This is precisely what the integrated system approach of the electric drive system ensures.

Source: IAA COMMERCIAL VEHICLES 2018

The Traveller-Monobus is powered by the 115 HP / 350 Nm, Mercedes derived, 3.2 litre, Common Rail engine. On account of the monocoque construction, it is not only extremely robust but also lightweight. It offers peak torque of 350Nm from 1600 to 2200 rpm, the high low-end torque ensures smooth ride even at low speeds. In addition, Traveller-Monobus has best-in-class power to weight ratio and being almost 800 kg lighter than comparable models, offers unmatched fuel efficiency.

The advanced 5 speed synchromesh gearbox with double cone synchronizer rings, offers low friction and smooth transmission. The special clutch lining is designed for frequent start-stops common in short distance tour and bus operations.

The Traveller-Monobus offers great structural strength and durability and is the only vehicle in its class to adopt the 6th Generation Cathodic Electro Deposition (C.E.D) Dip painting process for the whole body, for primer application thus offering the highest levels of rust protection and corrosion resistance.

The Traveller-Monobus comes with disk brakes on all wheels with new uni-booster hydraulic braking technology, ABS, EBD and latest Engine Drag Torque Control.  With very low floor height for easy entry and exit, lowest centre of gravity for superb ride stability, lowest NVH levels, smallest turning radius, the Traveller-Monobus offers good ride quality and seating comfort, with its 2.35m wide body interiors, a wide gangway, full standing height and ample leg room.

The Traveller-Monobus is fully tooled up and designed by the R&D team in Force Motors. It is entirely made of pressed steel panels welded in an automated and robotic environment. It is backed by the company’s manufacturing experience spanning over 6 decades and supported by country wide network of over 200 dealers fully equipped with trained manpower, special tools and ample stock of reasonably priced spare parts. 

Speaking on the occasion, Prasan Firodia, Managing Director, Force Motors noted, “The Traveller-Monobus is a fully in-house effort of our R&D team and I am confident it will set new benchmarks in performance, comfort, reliability, durability and safety. These same qualities have enabled Traveller to become acknowledged leaders in the 9-26 seater minibus category. The monocoque construction is possible due to extensive use of large pressed panels – which are fully designed, tooled and produced in house. Force Motors has applied for a number of patents on this product and process technology”

The Traveller-Monobus would be available in 33-seater and 41-seater options in standard and school bus variants at Force dealerships across the country during the upcoming festive season.

The WoW technology solution will drastically reduce painting cycle time, energy requirement and labor cost and significantly improve productivity in the painting process. With rapid strides in product solutions, Nippon Paint aims to become the clear leader in the commercial vehicles segment space in India by 2021. The launch follows Nippon Paint’s recently-announced unique express painting system for the automotive aftermarket.

Nippon Paint currently works with most of the leading OEMs in the country and is also a preferred player in the private bus-body segment in India. Nippon Paint is also working closely with the major State Transport Undertakings in India.

Sharad Malhotra, President Automotive, Commercial and Wood Coatings, Nippon Paint (India) states, “The Indian commercial vehicle industry is a focus sector for us. Our objective is to develop and introduce state-of-the-art high productivity solutions for the CV industry. We aim to drastically improve throughput for our customers without any major capital investment from their end. This is just the first step in our mission to introduce world-class products developed by our global R&D team that add tremendous value to our CV and light industrial customers.”

Lewis Taylor, Global Technical Manager for Nippon Paint states, “The biggest challenge faced by commercial vehicle manufacturers in the painting process is how to optimse efficiency. Nippon Paint aims to solve this problem by delivering customized solutions that maximize efficiency based on customer-specific production lines and infrastructure. Our WoW technology solution minimizes sanding and baking processes, thereby delivering efficiency improvements of up to 50% and cost reduction of up to 20%.”

Source: Nippon Paint