Huge 70 seat electric motor coach. Anybody up for a conversion? :)

[Voyageurs]

Hey all. Anybody want to get creative and do a bus motorhome conversion? Cmon, it’ll be fun. . Kinda cool. Built in Colorado I believe.

Enjoy.

Lightning eMotors sells first 70-seat electric double decker bus with a 640 kWh battery

Lightning eMotors has announced the sale of an all-electric double decker coach bus that seats 70 passengers and can travel 200+ miles.

electrek.co

 

[redbaron]

its a nice start---but 200 miles? Not sure how feasible it will be for a bus.

 

[Voyageurs]

its a nice start---but 200 miles? Not sure how feasible it will be for a bus.

My guess is a customer ordered it to do a specific job. I don’t think those guys build on spec. Still though. 70 passengers is a lot of weight. ?

Maybe we can ask them to build us a Motorhome. ?

 

[redbaron]

My guess is a customer ordered it to do a specific job. I don’t think those guys build on spec. Still though. 70 passengers is a lot of weight. ?

Maybe we can ask them to build us a Motorhome. ?

70 is a lot of weight.

Lets say the average is 200lbs--thats 14k lbs of people, plus the standard coach. Very respectable.

If they could get this to a 400 mile range, then I think 85% of Class-A RV owners would be jumping on board.

 

[Voyageurs]

70 is a lot of weight.

Lets say the average is 200lbs--thats 14k lbs of people, plus the standard coach. Very respectable.

If they could get this to a 400 mile range, then I think 85% of Class-A RV owners would be jumping on board.

I’m pretty sure it’s above my pay scale. ?. But I see lots of Prevost coaches out there. I’m sure there are those that can afford them.

Charging infrastructure is still non existent for the public though. I suspect this machine will have private 350 kw CCS fast chargers at its depots. Those are pretty close to 70 grand each. But I’m sure whoever ordered this has deep pockets.

 

[MapNerd]

I would need to see a 600 mile range + a diesel fired generator that could run the motors in a sort of limp mode before I would jump on board with this.

I do LOVE the idea of a double-decker motorhome though. A true dream of mine to one day build.

Most parks include electricity in your rate, I bet a park owner would be pretty pissed when their electric bill came.

 

[Voyageurs]

I bet a park owner would be pretty pissed when their electric bill came.

You mean an RV park. I don’t know. It’s a revenue stream for an RV park. I’m sure the RV park owners will welcome a new revenue stream.

 

[MapNerd]

Sure, if they meter and mark mark up your electric rate, but many parks don’t. Electric is just included in the nightly rate. Imagine charging the bus using both the 50 and 30 amp connections. The park owner probably would not realize they are essentially paying your fuel bill until you are already gone.

 

[Voyageurs]

Sure, if they meter and mark mark up your electric rate, but many parks don’t. Electric is just included in the nightly rate. Imagine charging the bus using both the 50 and 30 amp connections. The park owner probably would not realize they are essentially paying your fuel bill until you are already gone.

Yah. Theft happens. But it would be pretty obvious if an RV or truck or SUV is electric. Some parks just flat rate depending on the vehicle. They’ll be an adaptation phase. But people and business owners will figure it out...and make a profit. ?

 

["EZ"]

Just don't try to drive through Atlanta during rush hour or any other time of day when there has been a wreck. The battery would go dead before you made it across town. Last Thursday I had to go to Atlanta for a meeting. It was raining. Of course there were accidents. It took me 2 hours to get across town after I made it to Atlanta. What a mess.

 

[Voyageurs]

Just don't try to drive through Atlanta during rush hour or any other time of day when there has been a wreck. The battery would go dead before you made it across town. Last Thursday I had to go to Atlanta for a meeting. It was raining. Of course there were accidents. It took me 2 hours to get across town after I made it to Atlanta. What a mess.

It’s actually the opposite of what you think. An EV can sit in traffic for days. It’s the motive forces that use energy. AC or heat is a small percentage of energy used. If you are going to be stuck in traffic, summer or winter, an EV is a good place to be stuck.