NORTH AMERICA'S ‘battery-electric’ MCI J4500e coach has reached highway speeds and reliability targets in test runs recently, with its battery multi-charging options key to mass domestic market use, according to the company.
In what’s being touted as, “MCI’s leadership move into all-electric drawing on New Flyer expertise,” Motor Coach Industries (MCI) – the U.S. subsidiary of New Flyer Industries Inc., the largest transit bus and motor coach manufacturer and parts distributor in North America – announced today that its all-electric J4500e prototype successfully completed its phase-one testing. The coach, “ran flawlessly at both low and high speeds up to a sustained 70mph on the highway,” the company confirmed.
It means that MCI, which is said to have pioneered green fuel solutions with early entries in CNG and diesel-electric more than a decade ago, will add North America’s best-selling motor coach to its list of environmental breakthroughs, it states. The all-electric J4500e coach is on schedule for January 2020 production.
“We’re enormously pleased by these early test results — our all-electric J4500e delivered smooth power across varied roadways and impressive results in acceleration, handling and ride quality,” said JP Pelletier, vice president of MCI Engineering.
He says the electric motor lessens interior cabin noise, increasing passenger comfort. The J4500e regenerative braking, specifically designed to feel like the brakes on a clean-diesel coach, also performed as intended, he adds.
“MCI has covered electric territory before with hybrid diesel-electric coaches built in [the] early 2000s that are still in service, but with the all-electric platform we’re benefitting from New Flyer’s long time, battery-electric low-floor transit expertise,” said Pelletier.
MCI president Ian Smart added, “We foresee our all-electric J4500e as the next frontier for MCI, with our MCI D45 CRT LE offering the same electric propulsion platform. Our customers will also have attractive electric charging options with MCI — they can work with us on standard depot charging, on-route systems or a multi-charge design.”
As Smart explained, optional choices are productive because charging access still varies by community and route requirements.
“Thanks to New Flyer’s and MCI’s complementary experience in electric, MCI is set to offer the most reliable, comfortable, efficient and passenger-friendly electric coaches to private and public operators anywhere in North America. Our customers expect workhorse performance, and we will deliver it,” said Smart.
The electric architecture incorporated in the MCI J4500e features a high-torque Siemens 2130 LB FT electric drive system with a planned range to meet long-distance applications, Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) battery at 450kWh with high power plug-in battery charging to 100 per cent in under three hours. MCI will also apply its battery-electric platform to the D45 CRT LE Commuter Coach followed by the electric 35-foot MCI J giving operators the most comprehensive choices in purpose-built, all-electric coaches.
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THE NEXT STAGE
MCI will now move its all-electric J4500 test to Northern California, where public and private operators are eyeing all-electric expansion for their key customers. Major Silicon Valley technology employers are expanding their own private coach shuttle systems attractive to millennial workforces. Success in this market requires a deep understanding of how employer operators will be using these coaches, the company states.
Patrick Scully, MCI executive vice-president of sales and marketing said: “The time-tested reliability of the J4500 coach matched to an all-electric powertrain and charging methods adopted from New Flyer battery electric Xcelsior Charge is a powerful benefit — we’re able to closely collaborate with customers to provide the optimal electric propulsion and charging solution based on their exact usage and scheduling needs.”
NEXT-GEN, GREENER PACKAGE
The all-electric MCI J4500 will have styling and comfort features to match, it’s stated. The J4500 coach leads in curb appeal inside and out, from best-in-class legroom and slim-styled seating options to Wi-Fi and easy-access power outlets and overhead lighting, MCI makes distance travel both productive and relaxing, it’s claimed.
The D45 CRT LE also stands as the industry’s most accessible coach ever, featuring a mid-door and patent-pending low-entry vestibule with seating that speeds boarding for all passengers, including those with mobility devices.
SERVICE AND SUPPORT
The support grid for MCI’s all-electric product line includes more than 24 field support experts; seven MCI Sales and Service Centers across the U.S. and Canada; the MCI Academy — the company’s expanding online and hands-on technical training department; and NFI Parts, where operators have access to MCI and New Flyer OE parts along with parts for most other makes and models.
“The electric future at MCI is in line with our overall objectives of building low cost of operation and easy-to-service models,” said Smart.
“MCI’s proven coaches combined with New Flyer’s battery-electric Xcelsior Charge expertise will pave the way for vehicle reliability, and help our customers make a smooth transition to electric.”
ABOUT NFI GROUP
NFI Group and its subsidiaries comprise the largest bus and motor coach manufacturer and parts distributor in North America, with 32 fabrication, manufacturing, distribution, and service centres located across Canada and the United States and employing nearly 6000 team members.
NFI Group provides a comprehensive suite of mass transportation solutions under several brands: New Flyer® (heavy-duty transit buses), ARBOC® (low-floor cutaway and medium-duty buses), MCI® (motor coaches), and NFI Parts™ (bus and coach parts, support, and service). NFI Group’s vehicles incorporate the widest range of drive systems available ranging from clean diesel, natural gas, diesel-electric hybrid, trolley-electric, battery-electric, and fuel cell-electric.