DES PLAINES, Ill. — Motor Coach Industries’ all-electric J4500e prototype successfully completed its phase one testing.
MCI said the coach ran flawlessly at both low and high speeds up to a sustained 70 mph on the highway.
The J4500e coach is on schedule for January 2020 production and orders are being taken now.
The electric architecture incorporated in the MCI J4500e features a high-torque Siemens 2130 LB FT electric drive system with a planned range to meet long-distance applications, and a Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) battery at 450 kWh with high-power plug-in battery charging to 100 percent in under three hours.
MCI also will apply its battery-electric platform to the D45 CRT LE commuter coach followed by the electric 35-foot MCI J, giving operators the most comprehensive choices in all-electric coaches.
“We’re enormously pleased by these early test results – our all-electric J4500e delivered smooth power across varied roadways and impressive results in acceleration, handling and ride quality,” said JP Pelletier, vice president of MCI engineering.
Pelletier said the electric motor lessens interior cabin noise, increasing passenger comfort. The J4500e regenerative braking, specifically designed to feel like the brakes on a clean-diesel coach, also performed as intended.
“MCI has covered electric territory before with hybrid diesel-electric coaches built in the early 2000s that are still in service, but with the all-electric platform, we’re benefitting from (MCI parent) New Flyer’s longtime battery-electric low-floor transit expertise,” he said.
MCI President Ian Smart said that because of New Flyer’s and MCI’s complementary experience in electric, “MCI is set to offer the most reliable, comfortable, efficient and passenger-friendly electric coaches to private and public operators anywhere in North America.”
MCI will now move its J4500e test to northern California, where public and private operators are eyeing all-electric expansion for their key customers. Major Silicon Valley technology employers are expanding their own private coach shuttle systems attractive to millennial workforces, and success in that market requires a deep understanding of how employer operators will be using these coaches.
“The time-tested reliability of the J4500 coach matched to an all-electric powertrain and charging methods adopted from New Flyer battery electric Xcelsior Charge is a powerful benefit – we’re able to closely collaborate with customers to provide the optimal electric propulsion and charging solution based on their exact usage and scheduling needs,” said Patrick Scully, MCI executive vice president of sales and marketing.
The support grid for MCI’s all-electric product line includes more than 24 field support experts; seven MCI Sales and Service Centers across the U.S. and Canada; the MCI Academy – the company’s expanding online and hands-on technical training department; and NFI Parts, where operators have access to MCI and New Flyer original equipment parts along with parts for most other makes and models.
“The electric future at MCI is in line with our overall objectives of building low-cost-of-operation and easy-to-service models,” Smart said. “MCI’s proven coaches combined with New Flyer’s battery-electric Xcelsior Charge expertise will pave the way for vehicle reliability, and help our customers make a smooth transition to electric.”
