Russia, Drive Electro announces the launch of e-bus battery production (and e-trucks manufacturing)

Russian company Drive Electric announces it will launch the production of batteries for electric buses and the serial production of electric trucks. Electric vehicles, the company says, will be produced for both Russian and foreign markets. The maximum output of the manufacturing plant will be 700-1,000 electric bus battery sets and 1000 trucks per year.

Drive Electro to produce batteries for e-buses in Russia

Drive Electro pointed out that it has provided batteries for 400 of 600 e-buses in Moscow so far (Drive Electro is a supplier of drivetrain for Kamaz). By opening its own manufacturing plant, Drive Electro will be able to raise the number of manufactured batteries to 700-1,000 sets per year. Batteries will be based on LTO formula, which is used for fast-charged vehicles. It takes only 6 to 20 minutes to recharge, Drive Electro says. Electric buses are supplied to the city under a life cycle contract, which guarantees service from the manufacturer for 15 years of operation. The level of harmful emissions is also minimized, and the level of noise and vibration in the cabin is 30 percent lower compared to diesel buses. Drive Electro was founded in 2007 and today employs around 60 people.

Electric trucks to be produced by Drive Electro

In addition to batteries for electric buses, the plant will carry out serial production of electric trucks. The maximum output of the plant will be 1000 trucks per year, with smaller output in the initial stages of development.

The first prototype of the Moskva electric truck has been unveiled in September 2020. The truck was created for Russia’s largest food retailer, Drive Electro says. The maximum speed is 110 km/h, the cruising range is 200 km, and the maximum carrying capacity is 9 tons. It is expected that by the end of the testing phase the company will sign their first serial contract with the retailer, for a batch of 200 vehicles. There are also requests for electric trucks from other retail chains, the producer underlines.