At the last edition of Auto Expo in 2014, JBM Auto, the latest entrant in the Indian bus market and the flagship company of the JBM Group, had launched the ‘Citylife’ ultra-low-floor CNG bus in partnership with the Italian Bus maker BredaMenarinibus. Expanding its portfolio, JBM launched a 100 per cent electric bus ‘Ecolife’, in partnership with Solaris at this year’s Expo. Solaris Bus & Coach, a family-owned company in Poland, is a leading manufacturer of city buses, trams and trolley buses servicing 30 countries through its products.
The Ecolife was unveiled by Mr. S.K. Arya, Chairman, JBM Group, Mr. Nishant Arya, Executive Director, JBM Group, Dr. Andreas Strecker, CEO, Solaris Bus & Coach S.A. and Mr. Dariusz Michalak, Deputy CEO, Solaris Bus & Coach S.A at the JBM pavilion at the show.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Nishant Arya, Executive Director, JBM Group, said: “Pollution being an increasingly serious health concern in metropolis, it has become imperative to shift our mass public transport system from fossil fuel to non-fossil fuel. As a socially responsible organization, we believe that electric bus would be an apt solution we could offer. We are offering two versions of Ecolife bus in 9m & 12m length. Ecolife bundles the technical advances made in Europe with the first-in-class luxurious features we had introduced through our CNG bus in the last Auto Expo. Ecolife will surely revolutionize the intra-city transport”.
Dr. Andreas Strecker, CEO, Solaris Bus & Coach S.A., observed: “We have delivered memorable travel experiences in 30 countries and now we are excited to be present in India, the hub of innovation. JBM and Solaris together are set to revolutionize public transportation in India with Ecolife. The buses will be manufactured in India with our proven technology. As a group, we are committed to creating and offering innovative green solutions. JBM is also rapidly increasing its footprint in the solar power business. We are consistently participating in government initiiatives such as ‘Make In India’ and Smart City Development to contribute towards sustainable development of the nation.”
The Ecolife is a zero emission vehicle (ZEV) as it is powered by lithium batteries, which are fast charging through pantograph, and runs 150-200 km in 10-15 hrs of city bus operation. This vehicle can also run on plug-in charging. The electric bus technology is adaptable to city bus operation depending on the demographic and geographic conditions.
The Ecolife has a corrosion-resistant monocoque structure and front independent suspension, and comes with cantilever seats that give extra leg room for passengers and increased storage space underneath. It also incorporates other utility features such as passenger information system (PIS), vehicle health monitoring system, etc. This bus is currently available in 9 m and as will be available soon in 12m as well.
Citylife
The Citylife range which was initially offered as a CNG variant is now available in diesel as well. JBM is scheduled to deliver around 105 Citylife CNG buses for the Noida-Greater Noida region in April. The bus will be manufactured at the company facility at Kosi in Uttar Pradesh, which has an annual capacity to produce 2,000 buses. The Key features of the bus include a monocoque construction, matching European standards for safety in case of front/side collision and rollover accidents. With a fuel tank capacity of 265 litres, the Citylife diesel has an independent front suspension (IFS) that will ensure a stress-free ride for passengers. To boost passenger safety and comfort, Citylife Diesel will have cantilever seats and armrests, ensuring more room for standing passengers.
Sharing his views on the Citylife, Mr. Arya stated: “Citylife CNG has received very good response from the market and we are going to deliver the first tranche very soon. However, we have received numerous enquiries for a diesel bus with the same comfort of Citylife CNG as CNG is not available in all cities. Our new offering Citylife Diesel is to meet this demand. This bus has inherited all the safety and comfort specifications of Citylife”.
The bus is powered by a 6.7L Cummins ISBe 285 40 diesel engine producing power of 281 hp @ 2300 rpm, and of Torque – 1035 Nm @ 1200 – 1700 rpm.