PROJECT NAME: New Orion E23
PARTNERS: Promech Technologies and Mellor
BRIEF: Create increased passenger capacities with electric drive
CORE COMPETENCIES: Lightweighting / electric powertrain integration / rapid turn-around

Mellor’s requirement not only demanded the full scope of Promech’s engineering capability, but it also wanted them quickly. In a matter of months, Promech had helped Mellor expand its electric bus product range with the introduction of a new full-electric, zero-emissions bus. The new low-floor Orion E23 offers 23-passenger capacities thus falling within the scope of the £120 million Zero-Emission Buses Regional Area (ZEBRA) funding – a government scheme for the provision of up to 500 new British-built zero-emission buses.

Based on existing Orion electric powertrain platforms, the bus required substantial development. Increased passenger capacity means increased weight, with the vehicle subframe the main target of Promech’s weight-loss programme. Uprated electric batteries and re-engineering of critical components presented significant hurdles, overcome by an in-house team of technical experts.