This model of the Chinese manufacturer will be tested in several European and Hungarian cities.Continue reading
The prototype of the electric GANZ-SOR EBN8 midibus, a Czech-Hungarian co-production, was presented in Budapest on Wednesday, according to the Hungarian manufacturer.
The vehicle, produced at the Baja (Southern-Hungary) plant, was developed with the support of the GINOP Plus call for proposals under the “Stimulating corporate research, development, and innovation activities” program.
The 8-meter-long, low-floor midibus can comfortably carry 45 passengers and has a range of 300 kilometers. The propulsion system and software were developed by Hungarian specialists, while the coach body was manufactured in the Czech Republic.
Currently, there is only one midibus in production, but once type approval is obtained, GANZ-SOR plans to produce 50 vehicles a year.
Ganz Transelektro Transport Equipment Manufacturing Ltd (GTKB) collaborated with its Czech partner SOR to create the GANZ-SOR EBN8. The two companies decided to develop this mid-size bus due to the high global demand for such vehicles, which are mainly suitable for urban transport. In addition to the midibus, Ganz has developed charging equipment, including an OpCharge type pantograph fast charger and a 120 kW dual-head charger with a cable connection.
Rudolf Pencz, managing director of GTKB Ltd., stated in the press release that there are few midibuses on the international market, and the largest manufacturers do not specialize in this size. The demand for electrically powered mid-sized urban vehicles is growing annually. The COVID pandemic has accelerated this trend, with transport patterns changing and passenger numbers falling on many routes.
The midibus offers an efficient alternative for passenger transport,” he added.
The company’s turnover last year was HUF 2.5B (EUR 6.3M), down from HUF 2.61B (EUR 6.6M) in 2022, and its profit after tax was nearly HUF 186M (EUR 475.8K), compared with HUF 332M (849.4M) the previous year. The company’s average number of employees last year exceeded 120.
Via MTI; Featured Image: Facebook / Háfra Zsolt