Volkswagen will start production of electric buses in the second half of 2024

Volkswagen Truck & Bus has just confirmed that it will begin production of its electric bus in 2024. The model, called e-Volksbus, is being developed at VWCO's global engineering center in Resende (RJ), and draws on all the knowledge accumulated by the company in its five years of experience with the first electric truck made 100% in Brazil, the e-Delivery. The two vehicles also share technologies and components to cope with the harsh operating conditions in the country. This confirmation was made at the forum “RJ Eletromobilidade - Nova Matriz Energética e o Futuro do Transportes Rodoviário por Ônibus no Estado do Rio de Janeiro”, organized by the Department of Road Transportation of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Detro-RJ), in partnership with the State Secretariat of Transportation and Urban Mobility (Setram). The meeting will take place on March 12th and 13th, from 9am to 5pm, at the Lagoa Rowing Stadium, in the South Zone of the City of Rio de Janeiro.

“We are taking another step towards electromobility in urban transportation. After accumulating sufficient mileage in tests with VWTB’s electric chassis and also with the first electric truck developed in the country, we will begin production in the second half of 2024. This will be an important step in adapting the product to the production line,” says Rodrigo Chaves, Vice President of Engineering at Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus. The e-Volksbus began its first tests in May of last year, in line with emerging trends in the automotive scenario for passenger transportation. The model presented at the event has a capacity of 22 tons and a range of up to 250 km, with a charging system designed for nighttime to maximize productivity. 

In addition, it comes with a regenerative braking system that maximizes battery autonomy and reduces wear on the vehicle's brakes, and the Eco-Drive Mode system, which adjusts the vehicle's energy consumption. Another distinguishing feature is that it has flood protection, adapting the product to the realities of operations in Brazil. It will also be equipped with a kneeling system for greater passenger accessibility and full air suspension. Still in the prototype phase, the model uses the exclusive modular architecture solution for building electric vehicles, and can produce anything from a nine-meter microbus to a 23-meter articulated superbus. The configuration was designed by Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus engineering in Brazil, which speeds up adaptation to the different Volkswagen truck and bus platforms. The configuration allows the vehicle to be divided into three main modules: front module, central module and rear module.

*Photo credits Roberto Marinho