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Isuzu just a launched its flat floor Erga EV bus at the Japan Mobility Show. It was declared a first for the brand. But little is known, at least in this part of the world, that Isuzu has been experimenting with battery-powered buses since 2018 in Turkey.
In 1984, Isuzu Motors Co. Ltd. of Japan partnered with the Anadolu Group., Itochu Co., and HICOM to create a company called Anadolu Isuzu Otomotiv Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. It is now a publicly traded company on the BIST stock exchange under the interestingly unique ticker symbol ASUZU.
Since the establishment of the company, more than 80,000 commercial vehicles have been produced in accordance with the Isuzu Motors license agreement. Anadolu Isuzu is the first Turco-Japanese joint venture in the automotive sector. Its main fields of operation are the production and marketing of light duty trucks and mini-buses.
The Bus Award
Anadolu Isuzu won the “Safety Bus” Excellence Label at Busworld 2023 for its Citi VOLT 12 electric bus — a 12-meter fully electric bus filled with safety features, including advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), lane departure warning and automatic emergency braking, collision mitigation, fire suppression, and video surveillance systems.
The Safety Bus Excellence is awarded by Busworld to buses that meet the highest standards of safety. The label is based on a number of criteria, including the bus’s safety features, its design, and its performance in safety tests.
The award at Busworld 2023 is a significant achievement for Anadolu Isuzu. It is a recognition of the company’s commitment to safety and innovation. It is also a testament to the quality and reliability of the Citi VOLT 12 electric bus.
“We focus on sustainability as the main priority in all our activities, from the research and development stage to delivery and after-sales services, and we export our vehicles, which we have developed in accordance with the demands and expectations of our customers, to numerous countries of the world,” Anadolu Isuzu General Manager Tuğrul Arıkan said as he elaborated on other achievements of the company.
Sustainable Specifications
The Citi VOLT 12 electric bus moves because of a 375 kW electric motor that delivers 2,500 Nm of torque. The motor is powered by a 500 kWh lithium-ion battery. The battery can be charged in as little as 2 hours using a fast charger. The CitiVOLT 12 has a range of up to 300 km on a single charge and can reach a top speed of 100 km/h.
A regenerative braking system that helps to extend the range of the bus, as well an automatic start/stop system, helps conserve energy.
The Citi VOLT 12 is also equipped with a number of features that make it more comfortable and accessible for passengers, such as a low-floor design that makes it easy for passengers to enter and exit the bus. It features a built-in wheelchair ramp and more flat floors to create a spacious interior with plenty of seating, and a climate control system.
“As Anadolu Isuzu, our zero-emission, quiet, environment-friendly models, produced in line with our electric vehicle vision, also achieve significant success. The fully electric vehicles we produce in our modern production facilities with the features of a ‘smart factory’ in Çayırova meet our customers’ expectations in the best way, attracting great attention from all over the world,” Arikan shared.
Delivering Electrified Buses
The company is now in the process of delivering of more than 100 fully-electric NovoCiti Volt and CitiVolt series buses to be completed by the end of the year, in line with the tenders won by Anadolu Isuzu. As it grows in its home turf, it also continues to grow in foreign markets in line with its strategy of “growth in the world.”
“Today, the automotive industry is undergoing a comprehensive transformation all over the world, and as Isuzu, we are among the active actors of the commercial vehicles industry during this period. We not only follow the trends that shape the future of the sector but also direct these developments with our experience, R&D capabilities and superior production quality,” Arıkan said as he elaborated on how the company continues opening up to new markets, while strengthening its presence in the existing ones with prestigious tenders and deliveries in numerous countries, especially in Europe.
The Anadolu Isuzu Formula
Anadolu Isuzu’s 100% electric environmentally friendly buses are developed and manufactured in Turkey in accordance with the latest environmental regulations in the field of public transportation, and respond to the current demands and needs of corporate customers, especially municipalities and transportation operators, to become successful in cities all around the world.
The electric bus export market, which started with the NovoCiti Volt model that was initially delivered to France in 2021, grows with each passing quarter with the addition of the CitiVolt series. “We will continue to lead our sector domestically and globally by increasing our strength with new models in the rapidly developing fully electric bus segment,” Arıkan concluded.
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