The National University of La Plata and the Argentine company Nueve de Julio SAT signed an agreement to advance in the conversion of electric buses for the urban passenger system.
According to the agreement, the Aerospace Technological Center (CTA-UNLP), belonging to the School of Engineering, and the company Nueve de Julio will supply technology and part of its own equipment for the research, development and implementation of the bus conversion.
For this purpose, they will acquire equipment, materials and make infrastructure improvements, among other activities, according to the needs and plans to be carried out jointly.
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High Technology
The CTA will transfer equipment to carry out the reconversion of a new unit of the company, in addition to the knowledge and engineering for the modification of the prototype, chassis structure, battery supports, engine support and the arrangement for the placement of the different components and accessories.
The Dean of Engineering explained that the vehicle to be reconverted could be a double articulated bus. With the equipment, the bus is expected to have an autonomy of 200 kilometers, at a maximum speed of 60 km/h and the capacity to be charged in 4 and a half hours.
All mechanical tasks, metal-mechanical assembly, repair of the unit to be reconverted, assembly, bodywork and painting, among others, will be carried out by Nueve de Julio with the technical assistance of Axioma SS and advice from CTA.
In exchange for the equipment transferred by the Faculty, the company will provide resources to complete an electric minibus powered by lithium batteries, which the UNLP is already working on and which will be used for the transportation of disabled passengers, for internal university use.
