Spanish Irizar presents electric city tram

At this year's Busworld fair we are featuring the world premiere of our articulated 18 metre Irizar ie Tram which extends the current supply of electric vehicles to articulated vehicles with opportunity charging; next to it will be the well-known, tried and tested sector benchmark, the Irizar ie bus. The Irizar ie tram is an articulated 18 metre bus. It is a vehicle with the aesthetic attributes of a tram, developed based on the idea that the design participates in the attractiveness of the service and in the development of comfort for the citizen.

press release:
Our commitment to the sustainability and well-being of our customers and citizens leads us to go much further.

Three years after the delivery of the first 100% zero emissions electric buses to  the cities of San Sebastian and Barcelona, we can now proudly say that we are fully prepared for the electrification of the public transport service in European cities with a wide range of comprehensive mobility solutions tailored to the needs of each customer, with products and services that have state-of-the-art technology developed entirely in the Irizar Group.

The first 25 units are running at full capacity in a dozen European cities with proven battery range, efficiency and reliability.

The current portfolio of orders and the high demand for zero emissions products that is shortly expected to materialize has spurred the Irizar Group to begin serial production at the new Aduna plant which is geared exclusively towards the development and manufacture of electric mobility solutions for cities.

The combination of flexibility regarding the mobility of an urban bus and the large capacity, easy access and interior spatial organization of a tram, with zero emissions, define the DNA of this new vehicle. The Irizar ie tram offers a design that starts from a minimalist aesthetic language, without ornaments, with all of its features responding to specific functional aspects allowing it to create an identity and an image that are easily recognisable to its users.

One of the most significant features of its design is the chrome edging that flows around the body of the vehicle. It makes for immediate identification and creates an appearance that isdifferent to other similar vehicles. This edging, like an icon, is an identifying feature associated with the brand.

The chrome edging runs around the large glass surface of the sides, which becomes a canvas  on which the environment through which the vehicle travels is reflected.

The front of the vehicle reflects fluidity and style and with a large glazed surface it evokes the heritage of the tram, which together with the full led optics integrated in the edging rings, creates a composite appearance that is avant-garde but technological and rational at the same time. The rear section, breaking away from the cubism of the bus, is our big aesthetic commitment.

Care has been taken with the most minor details to achieve the aesthetics of the tram, for example the hubcaps, as well as the wing mirrors, have been replaced by cameras that project their images onto two displays located in the interior of the vehicle either side of the driver.

Irizar e-mobility has designed the passenger interior with consideration for traveller behaviour and interaction with the urban vehicle and also based on different lifestyles and future trends, therefore the seat layout attempts to encourage social cohesion. It offers seats with a high level of comfort and the integration of essential features like comfort and safety.

Accessibility, safety, movement flow and passenger comfort inspire the interior design architecture. The arrangement of the interior spaces enables the adaptation of the different types of users, offering them all a comfortable solution. Thus, the spaces offered are bright and pleasant, designed for students, because it has been observed that on all public transport networks, they prefer to sit at the back.

The interior design seeks to offer the user a feeling of openness and light, where the transition between inside and outside is minimized through the transparency of the windows, so the passenger becomes observer of what happens outside the vehicle. The large side windows, together with the LED interior lighting and its central "open air" vault, provide brightness that transfers the user to a safe and pleasant environment.

In the inter circulation area, a system with very low lateral inclinations has been designed to provide an open space towards the rear trailer. The system is translucent and avoids the separation of the two passenger areas.  Furthermore, it is equipped with LED lighting.

 These 18-metre vehicles have capacity for 155 people, making them unique among electric buses. They allow the installation of four sliding doors to facilitate the exchange of passengers with a reduction in waiting time at the station, which is indispensable in reducing journey time and increasing the punctuality of high level service lines.