The DesignLine Eco-Smart I is a battery-electric bus built on the Olymbus/EcoSaver IV platform. The prototype, named Tindo (after the word for sun in the indigenous language of the Kaurna people of South Australia), is operated by the Adelaide City Council and has been heavily marketed as the world's first solar electric bus. The bus is not actually equipped with any solar panels, but is recharged using a solar photovoltaic system installed at the Adelaide Central Bus Station.
| |
| Years of manufacture | 2007 to present |
| Length | 34 or 40 feet |
| Width | 96 or 102 inches |
According to the Adelaide City Council, the 34-foot bus is able to travel about 200 kilometres between recharges under typical urban conditions. Tindo is equipped with air-conditioning and can carry up to 40 passengers, with 25 standard seats, 2 seats especially designed for disabled passengers and room for 13 standing passengers.
Two similar buses, now marketed as the Eco-Smart I, were shipped to Abu Dhabi (UAE) in 2010 where they are used as luxury shuttles for a local resort.[1] Laval, Québec purchased the first 40-foot version of the Eco-Smart and is DesignLine's first Canadian customer.
Specifications[2]
Dimensions
- Length: 10.42 m (34 feet)
- Width: 2.48 m (96 inches)
- Height: 3.06 m (121 inches)
Motors
- 2 x Bosch RexRoth Idramat 3-phase AC Induction 335 hp (total)
Power storage
- Type 11 modules Zebra Z36-371-ML3C-64 sodium-nickel chloride 261.8 kWh
HVAC
- Sutrak
- Thermo King
Suspension
- ZF air
Axles
Brakes
- Bendix disc brakes with ABS and ATC
Operators
Australia 
- Adelaide City Council - Adelaide, SA
Canada 
- Société de transport de Laval (STL) - Laval, QC
United Arab Emirates 
- Tourism Development & Investment Co - Sir Bani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
Production list
Below is a list of known Tindo/Eco-Smart I buses.[3]
| Owner | Fleet number | Thumbnail | Year | VIN | Body | Motors | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adelaide City Council |
no#
(1 unit) |
2007 | 7DL2700207A006042 | 34-foot 'Olymbus' body | Built in New Zealand, delivered in Dec. 2007. | ||
Tourism Development & Investment Co |
no#
(2 units) |
2010 | 34-foot 'Olymbus' body |
| |||
|
7777
(1 unit) |
|
2012 | 1D9422EV7CC665053 | 42-foot 'Olymbus' North American body | Bosch RexRoth |
|
|
|
33-601 to 33-607 | NOT BUILT | 30-foot | Siemens |
|
References
- ↑ DesignLine Middle East Announces Delivery of Electric Buses to Tourism Development & Investment Company, designlinecorporation.com, retrieved on 2010-07-08
- ↑ Tindo Fact Sheet, adelaidecitycouncil.com, retrieved on 2010-07-08
- ↑ Australia Bus FleetLists
- ↑ [http://www.stm.info/English/info/comm-12/a-co120502.htm Contract awarded for mid-size electric buses: the STM moves forward with its network electrification strategy] (Press release) 2 May 2012. Retrieved on 8 May 2012.