Newcomer Dancerbus from Lithuania is ready for the market. With full composite city bodies, full electric city buses and a few surprising innovations.
Started from scratch nine years ago, Dancerbus now presents two 12-metre-long vehicles: a version with a driving range of 100 km and a long range with a 530km radius of action. The short range can charge its battery in 8 minutes via a pantograph. Dancerbus went straight for the latest technology and constructed a bus from composite, both its chassis and body. With a total mass of 8.6 tonnes, the Dancerbus is considered one of the lightweights. The underside of the vehicle has more favourable drive-up and drive-down angles to handle steep slopes. 'We are extremely suitable in medium-sized cities with narrow streets,' says spokesman Kristof Ledihov.
A new feature is the large screen in the back of the bus. It provides an up-to-date picture of the traffic in front of the bus. 'This allows the driver of the following vehicle to see what is happening in front,' says Ledihov. A curved panoramic windscreen gives the driver an excellent view of the road.
This year, Dancerbus will build 10 more long-range copies, with 50 vehicles planned by 2024.