- BYD’s new electric bus platform brings significant improvements to the public transport sector.
- The e-Bus Platform 3.0 boasts a 1,000-volt architecture, a high-speed blowout stability system and a driving range of up to 454 miles.
- Cell-to-chassis LFP batteries are standard, and there’s an adaptive suspension system on offer.
China’s BYD just upped the ante in the electric bus game with its new e-Bus Platform 3.0, which brings a lot of cool technology from the passenger car sector.
On the battery side of things, the new platform integrates BYD’s Blade lithium iron phosphate (LFP) modules directly into the chassis using the so-called cell-to-chassis technology. This means the floor of the bus can be lower because the pack doesn’t have to be installed on top of the chassis rails.
Photo by: BYD
The first bus based on this new platform, the C11, is available in China with five capacity options, from 184 kilowatt-hours all the way up to 593 kilowatt-hours, resulting in a CLTC-rated range between 136 miles (220 kilometers) and 453 miles (730 kilometers).
The wide range of battery options can cater to local transit buses, as well as regional transport services. Going the extra mile is also possible thanks to the impressive 1,000-volt rating of the high-voltage batteries, a first in the bus sector, which would allow them to charge at ultra-fast speeds. That said, BYD didn’t say how much time it would take to go from 10% to 80% on the largest LFP pack offered on the C11 model.
An adaptive suspension system called DiSus-A, borrowed from BYD’s passenger EVs, can be fitted to buses riding on the new platform, and there’s also a high-speed tire blowout stability system that can react in milliseconds to keep the bus on track during blowouts at speeds of up to 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour), according to the Chinese maker.
What’s more, if something bad were to happen to the driver, the passengers can activate a one-touch stop button on the dashboard to automatically stop the bus. The feature, called Driver Disability Assistance System 2.0, is exclusive to this new platform and can safely bring the bus to a halt without driver input, according to BYD.
That’s a lot of tech crammed into a vehicle that has traditionally been regarded as simple and bare-bones. And, more importantly, it could make its way to the United States. While BYD is currently selling precisely zero passenger EVs stateside, the Chinese giant has been building battery-powered buses and trucks in California since 2013, so it’s not far-fetched to think that the fancy new suspension system and high-voltage battery setup would make their way into the transit bus that takes you to work every day.
