Isuzu has unveiled the Erga EV bus, which marks its first battery electric flat-floor route bus.
Showcased at the Japan Mobility Show as part of its “Innovation for You - Accelerate the Future of Transport” exhibit, it is scheduled to launch in Japan in 2024.
This reveal is part of Isuzu’s agnostic product development approach to achieve net zero carbon emissions from its commercial vehicle product range by 2050.
The Erga EV is the first BEV flat-floor route bus developed by Isuzu that upholds this approach.
The BEV’s layout flexibility allows for the elimination of steps at the rear of the bus, creating a fully flat-floor interior, allowing passengers to easily get on and off the bus as a conventional non-step diesel-engine bus.
All seats are accessible without steps, making movement within the bus completely barrier-free.
Smoother acceleration and deceleration, as well as lower vibration and noise levels, maximise passenger safety and comfort.
These improvements aim to eliminate on board accidents, such as falls, entirely.
The bus is powered by a high-capacity lithium-ion battery pack that provides a range of up to 300 kilometres on a single charge.
It has a seating capacity of up to 90 passengers and is equipped with a variety of features to improve safety and comfort, including an automatic emergency braking system, a lane departure warning system, a unique blind spot monitoring system, adaptive cruise control, and even USB charging ports for sitting passengers.
Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL) Director and COO Andrew Harbison says the expo provided a rare and insightful opportunity to get to grips with what is the cutting-edge of world transportation technology.
“Our industry is in the midst of unprecedented change. From the very fundamentals of the way in which we do business, to evolving environmental and societal expectations its clear an industry transition is well and truly upon us,” he says.
“From a product perspective, events like the Mobility Show are invaluable for markets such as Australia. Having direct access to some of the key emerging technologies, we’re looking at genuine solutions in our corner of the world which are both insightful and highly valuable.”
An overarching theme of the showcase was the Isuzu Group’s long-term goal to create environmentally responsible transport that can drive both economic growth as well as positive environmental outcomes.
“This broader push from our parent company is of course well underway and as we saw in Tokyo, an unapologetically holistic approach to technological development is being pursued,” says Harbison.