Egyptian company also presents the C127 EV, an all-electrical low-floor integral bus completely designed and developed in-house
MCV, a global leader in transport solutions, headquartered in Egypt, stake claim to revolutionize urban mobility at Busworld Europe 2023 with its versatile body works on the Volvo BZL platform. The Volvo BZL with a 9.7m MCV body full electric Single Deck City Bus, is just one of the many variants in this remarkable platform. The cutting-edge body work from MCV offers 37 different configurations ranging from 9 m to 13 m in length for the Volvo BZL electric platform. This comprehensive range includes a body built into a low entry or a low floor option in some of the lengths for both left hand driving and right- hand driving, making the complete built bus ultimate choice for cities looking to cater to all passenger needs.
Key highlights of MCV’s body for the Volvo BZL:
- Configuration versatility: The Volvo BZL electric chassis platform serves as the foundation for MCV’s innovative bodywork of up to 37 different variants for both left hand driving and right hand driving. Operators can choose from lengths ranging from 9 meters to 13 meters, ensuring that cities of all sizes can find the perfect fit for their public transportation requirements.
- Low Entry and Low Floor: The Volvo BZL platform could be body built into both low entry and low floor options, accommodating passengers with varying mobility needs. Low floor buses from 11.3m provide easy access for passengers with reduced mobility, while low entry models offer a balance between accessibility and seating capacity.
- Seamless Integration: Despite the wide array of configurations, the Volvo BZL platform maintains consistency in design, technology, and sustainability across all different body variations, allowing transit agencies to seamlessly integrate different bus sizes and accessibility features into their fleets.
- Safety: All body variants built on the Volvo BZL platform, regardless of length are equipped with enhanced safety features, including driver runaway prevention, CMS, intelligent speed assist, corner lights and crash frame structure to protect drivers in addition to smooth interior design aimed at minimizing passenger risks in the event of an accident.
- Pedestrian safety: The MCV body features for the Volvo BZL offer an enhanced geometry with curved corners that not only enhances driver visibility but also reduces pedestrian head impact in case of any collision.
- Accessibility and Comfort: The MCV body for the Volvo BZL is designed to be inclusive for all passengers, prioritizing passenger accessibility and comfort. Features such as electric- powered ramps, large wheelchair areas, high-back comfort seats and spacious interiors ensure that all passengers can board and travel comfortably. A passenger information system with two state-of-the-art TFT monitors serving passengers and wheelchair user enhance equally all passengers’ experience is equipped with state-of-the-art hearing loop technology that enhances the travel experience for individuals with hearing impairments.
- Sustainable Materials: MCV is committed to sustainability not only in operation or product offerings but also in production. The bus body features sustainable materials and manufacturing processes, aligning with MCV’s commitment to a circular economy.
MCV’s stand also had on display the C127 EV, a product completely designed and developed by MCV dedicated to the German market. MCV’s technical expertise has empowered it to the next level to build its own all-electrical-low-floor- integral bus, C127 EV. This model is the company’s own zero emission product tailored to the European market. It was first presented in Germany at 14th VDV-Electric Bus Conference and exhibition in March 2023.
When designing the bus, particular importance was given to the installation of European components for the main assemblies in order to be able to meet the requirements of European customers as best as possible. The 12-meter low-floor vehicle impresses with its extensive compliance with the VDV guidelines and comes with a number of interesting equipment features that are unrivalled in the market.
The MCV C127 EV is an all-electric-city-bus that is highly tailored to customer requirements. The cooled, high-performance lithium-ion batteries with efficient NMC chemistry (nickel manganese cobalt oxide) are modular in design and crash-safely housed on the roof (optionally four to six battery packs, 308 kWh to max. 462 kWh). Active battery balancing ensures optimal efficiency and operational readiness of the batteries. The flexible option of attaching the CCS-2 charging socket to the front right or rear right side wall as well as the use of charging rails on the roof (also vehicle- mounted pantograph if desired) enable a comfortable and efficient charging process that is digitally monitored at all times.
The extremely robust and at the same time lightweight construction of the MCV 127 EV made of solid stainless steel ensures pleasant, safe and, above all, low-noise driving behavior and all this with emission-free operation. Even in the cold season, the MCV C127 EV meets this requirement thanks to a purely electric heater in combination with a CO2 heat pump with complex thermal management and purely electric additional heating. The bus is powered by a central synchronous motor mounted on the vehicle, which acts directly on a conventional portal axle from ZF and mobilizes a maximum of 250 kW and 3,000 Newton meters of maximum torque (17,190 Nm directly at the wheel). This ensures that the drive works robustly and for many years with the best possible noise encapsulation. In addition, the synchronous motor principle with permanent magnets is considered particularly efficient for city traffic and it offers particularly good recuperation rates for braking energy recovery.
With state-of-the-art facilities located in Egypt, MCV consistently raises the bar in terms of its ability to deliver 5000 buses per year is a result of efficient production processes, cutting-edge automation, and a highly skilled workforce. With widespread presence across several international markets including Europe and Asia Pacific, MCV has consistently demonstrated its ability to adapt to diverse market needs while maintaining the highest standards of quality and safety. MCV’s ability to customise buses for various regions, climates, and passenger demands has made them a trusted partner for renowned transit authorities and private operators alike.