India’s first double-decker electric bus

Switch Mobility has launched the new EiV 22 double-decker bus in India. What’s more interesting is that Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), through its subsidiary OHM Mobility, has already placed an order for 200 EiV 22 double-decker buses for public transport in Mumbai.

The new Switch EiV 22 shares its underpinnings with the previous-generation EiV 12. With a seating capacity of 65 passengers, the double-decker electric bus claims to be India’s first all-electric air-conditioned electric bus.

The Switch EiV 22 uses a heavy-duty 231 kWh Nickel Cobalt Manganese (NMC) battery pack, which offers a maximum range of 250 km on a single charge. This battery pack uses cells sourced from China, while their assembly into battery packs is done at Switch Mobility’s production facility in Ennore, Tamil Nadu. This battery pack features liquid cooling and a dual gun charging facility and is accompanied by a powertrain sourced from Dana.

Switch EiV22 uses advanced Lithium-iron NMC chemistry with modular battery. It have weveller suspension at the front and air suspension in the rear. It also have disk breaks in the front and drum break at rear with 250 KM at full charge, the charging time is around 3 hrs.

About the overall design of the EiV 22, it is based on the EiV 12 and uses front and rear doors for easier and faster ingress and egress of passengers. It also has two staircases for accessing the deck above.