Designers of the Belarusian
automaker MAZ have started working on an electric bus, BelTA learned
from Vasily Vladytsky, Deputy Chief Designer of the company's Bus Design
Division.
The executive said: “The development of design documents for an electric
bus is one of the latest projects handled by our department. So far we
have managed to finish only the requirements specification but we
understand that today it is necessary to rapidly make new products and
find new target markets. This is why the project is supposed to be
developed rather intensively. I think a prototype will be ready by
spring.”
Vasily Vladytsky explained that the electric bus will not be powered by
an internal combustion engine. Instead it will rely on energy storage
units, possibly lithium-ion batteries. “We have not decided on energy
storage devices yet. It is likely that this part of the project will be
outsourced. Romanian partners are considered as one of the options,”
said the Deputy Chief Designer of the MAZ Bus Design Division. The new
product will be export-oriented and will target the European Union
market.
Minsk Automobile Plant was founded in 1944. In 2009 it was
reincorporated into the public joint-stock company (OAO) MAZ. In 2012
OAO MAZ became the management company of the holding company BelavtoMAZ.
The holding company comprises ten enterprises that employ about 30,000
people. The holding company makes truck tractors, high-sided trucks,
medium-capacity automobiles, dump trucks, log trucks, short log trucks,
cross-country vehicles, chassis fit for special equipment. MAZ offers
over 500 models and modifications of trucks and 17 base models and about
100 modifications of passenger vehicles.