The Irizar Group presents its innovative electric truck at the Solutrans international trade fair

The Irizar Group will present the innovative electric Irizar ie truck at the Solutrans international trade fair in Lyon EuroExpo from 16 to 20 November. The Irizar ie truck is a sustainable zero-emission truck, designed by the Irizar Group in response to the needs of cities and urban environments, without generating atmospheric or noise pollution. A truck designed for sustainable and intelligent cities due to its excellent energy efficiency and optimal operating costs. The three-axle chassis version with the necessary information on the technological solutions developed and manufactured by the Irizar Group is exhibited at stand no. 14 in hall 5, allée A. Outside of pavilion 4.2, PB car park, there will be the Irizar ietruck that visitors will be able to try and test. This is a rear body vehicle in an electric version with a CNG compressed natural gas range extender. This allows circulation in the city in electric mode, and makes it possible to extend autonomy and extend working hours with an engine that runs on natural gas. Energy efficiency, safety, accessibility, versatility, performance and environmental benefits are some of the most significant qualities that define this vehicle. The design, the undisputed icon of all Irizar brand products, is another of its main characteristics.  The result is a vehicle with a groundbreaking, attractive and accessible look. The Irizar ie truck has been designed for manoeuvrability and load capacity, incorporating cutting-edge solutions that make it suitable for a range of industrial uses in cities and metropolitan areas. The Irizar ie truck is a European technology product, with electric traction, energy and load storage, thermal management and control electronics developed by Irizar Group companies. The synergy between them  enables them to offer a range of options and versions adapted to current and future industrial needs in urban environments. Solutrans is therefore the perfect context for the Irizar Group, with 132 years of experience in the bus and coach manufacturing sector and more than 10 years in the electromobility sector, to exhibit all its new sustainable vehicle innovations for urban services and metropolitan areas and to show the different applications available to the market.   Designed for sustainable cities Zero emissions and silent The Irizar ie truck is the first fully electric zero-emission truck developed by the Irizar Group exclusively for cities and their metropolitan areas in order to meet multiple applications and industrial needs. Due to its zero emissions and low noise level, it is an ideal vehicle for  cities and urban environments. Its energy consumption is 75% lower than a conventional truck and its low noise, pollutant and CO2 emissions make it an ideal vehicle for work during the day or night, even in low-emission metropolitan areas.   Safety first A safe working environment for operator and pedestrians Safety has been essential in the development of the driver's cabin, where ergonomics and an optimum field of vision are priorities. The low-floor cab and right-hand door have been developed exclusively to provide maximum safety in urban manoeuvres. It has a single 370 mm access step, guaranteeing safe passage for the driver and crew. This makes it the vehicle with the lowest entry height on the market. It can accommodate a total of four people, with three folding seats for the crew. The low position of the driver's seat and the wide front and side windows provide the driver with an unbeatable panoramic view of the road, cyclists, pedestrians and other users, facilitating interaction and eliminating blind spots. Comfort is enhanced by the spaciousness, accessibility and ergonomics of the commands, LED lighting, controls and dashboard display. It incorporates a pneumatic right-hand pivoting door with rapid inward opening, which, in addition to guaranteeing direct exit to the hard shoulder and preventing encroachment on the road, allows workers to pass through any type of obstacle on the road safely and quickly. This door also features anti-trap sensors, a photocell and a sensitive edge on the leaf to avoid any type of unforeseen event in fast-moving situations. The Irizar ie truck is also equipped with the latest active safety technology. In addition to stability control, the integration of the camera and the front radar sensor allows for lane change detection (LDWS), alerting the driver in the event of unintentional vehicle deviation. It also incorporates Emergency Brake Assist (AEBS), which activates the emergency brake if the vehicle moves too close to the vehicle in front and the driver does not react in time. Creepage functionality provides the driver with automatic start/finish assistance, both on level ground and on steep hills. This allows the driver to focus on the surrounding traffic and avoid complicated pedal and paddle manoeuvres. As an option, camera mirrors can be fitted for optimum and clear visibility even in unfavourable conditions. Warning and alert systems for obstacles, people or vehicles in blind spots or those with poor visibility are also available. In other words, the aim is to guarantee safer driving, but also to protect the most vulnerable road users, focusing on the quality of life of citizens. The Irizar ie truck is an ideal vehicle to operate in residential areas, among cyclists, pedestrians without creating any kind of noise, pollution, or other disruptions to quality of life that fuel trucks have historically been responsible for in cities and villages."   A reliable truck Durability, performance and safety tests The first units were manufactured in 2018, since when reliability, performance and safety tests for the driver, users and pedestrians have been carried out continuously. Traction systems, energy storage, thermal management and other elements and components have undergone constant testing with progressive validation programmes at every stage of the vehicle's design, applying the most cutting-edge technologies and methodologies to obtain the most accurate and reliable results. The powertrain has been tested on an INSIA test bench (UPM, Madrid). Crash tests have been carried out to analyse the response of the passenger compartment in an accident, thus guaranteeing the safety of the driver and other operators. The Irizar ietruck has also been exposed to demanding fatigue road testing in Idiada AppPlus. These tests simulate the entire life of the vehicle to ensure optimum durability and reliability in the most severe conditions. However, the ultimate test has been to see this truck operating in real-life waste management duties (including trials on the bin loader and compactor systems) across at least 15 cities throughout Europe.  The good results have led to the series production of the first ten commercial vehicles, also intended for collection.   Manoeuvrability and load capacity Objectives from the outset The axles, suspension and steering are custom-desing to prevent the ie truck having too large a turning radius (an issue that can arise with low-floor cabin trucks) and enabling a greater manoeuvrability performance and to reduce the number of manoeuvres in difficult turns. The truck has a large load capacity and great flexibility to accommodate any type of bodywork, as it allows a greater weight distribution. All of this makes it the most advanced solution on the market. The suspension of the Irizar ie truck has automatic levelling (ELC) and provides special functionalities for different applications: optimal adherence of the drive axle at all times; correct distribution of axle loads; automatic levelling to ensure the optimal driving height at all times; assistance in departure or starting to drive in the most slippery situations; different working heights of the suspension, which can be tailored to customer needs, etc.   Designed for different industrial uses The Irizar ie truck has been designed to offer flexibility and versatility in the integration of both the chassis and the cab. With just a few adjustments to the powertrain and adaptations to the different bodywork available on the market, this vehicle can be used in unlimited applications, such as logistics, sweeping, cement mixing, crane or other urban work. The Irizar Group is currently able to offer vehicles for all types of containers, for dry and refrigerated distribution, for fuel and food in tanker trucks, for transporting people with reduced mobility and platform cranes. The three-axle, 6x2 version has a load-bearing capacity of up to 18 tonnes.   Waste collection The first application developed is waste collection management and the first field-tested applications were in the collection of urban solid waste, as this is the most challenging type of heavy road vehicle to engineer, not only due to the need to drive on all types of wide or narrow, flat or sloping roads, with frequent stopping and starting motions, but also because the bodies of this type of application subject the chassis to very high stresses when lifting the containers and compacting the waste. Thus, the energy demand of this type of bodywork is one of the highest in terms of truck applications.   Competitive operating cost The Irizar Group's innovative truck has been designed to maximise uptime and operating efficiency. Thanks to the technology it incorporates, it has fewer mechanical components than equivalent internal combustion engine vehicles and contributes 75% less energy consumption than a conventional vehicle. As mentioned above, it offers the possibility of incorporating a CNG range extender that allows it to extend its range in areas outside cities while the batteries are recharged thanks to the built-in generator. The vehicle has a regenerative braking function, so that the vehicle's kinetic energy is used to its full potential. A walkway behind the driver and passenger seat allows easy access to components for quick inspections or longer maintenance, and the cab side panels can be opened if necessary for access. In any case, this eliminates the need to tilt the entire cab forward to access maintenance, as occurs in all conventional cabs. Thus, the Irizar Group proposes a total operating cost equivalent to or lower (depending on the type of operation/application) than that of the equivalent diesel vehicle, which means that fleet operators can enjoy the best combination of profitability and sustainability, representing an additional incentive to electrify the vehicle fleet.   In-house technology and European know-how The Irizar ie truck incorporates comprehensive and independent pioneering technology developed by the Irizar Group companies and already used for electric buses in electric traction, energy storage and control electronics, as well as the rest of the systems supplied. The innovation and knowledge provided by the Group's companies are the bases on which Irizar promotes sustainability and mobility in cities. The Irizar Group's technological capacity and its collaboration with the best research centres have enabled the development of this top-level industrial vehicle, with turnkey services and solutions, positioning the Irizar Group at the forefront of European technology.   Traction motor The motors are developed and manufactured by Alconza, a company dedicated to electric motors and generators for the marine, hydraulic generation and industrial sectors for special uses. Synchronous permanent magnet technology is used, as they yield the biggest torque and power density figures. The powertrain is compact and light, thus saving on space and weight. The electronics (ECU) that control the motor and inverters are developed by Jema Energy, which specialises in high-end power electronics.   Irizar energy storage and management In-house battery packs The energy storage and management solutions developed and manufactured at Irizar's facilities in Spain are designed to meet the needs of the current European market and provide the best solution for each operator's requirements. They comply with the latest European electrical, thermal and mechanical safety regulations: R100.v2, R10.v5 and UN38.3 and are highly recyclable. NMC (lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide) cells are used in the ie truck's batteries, due to their high energy density and power density relative to other chemistries, in addition to their high number of cycles, thus helping to minimise the number of pack replacements needed over the 8-10 year lifetime of each truck.   Charging options The Irizar Group offers different charging options to respond to different customer conditions, both in terms of power limitations and space and operational restrictions: charging by plug-in or pantograph in depots, charging by roof-mounted pantograph or inverted pantograph en route. All these solutions are interoperable in accordance with ISO 15118, DIN70121, OCPP 1.6 CE mark, EMC. 61000-6-2, 61000-6-4, IEC 61851 and IEC 61000. It also offers the intelligent charging system: a control centre that efficiently manages all charging conditions/restrictions in the garage and identifies the different charging needs of each vehicle in order to optimise the total power required. With the Irizar ie truck, the charging possibilities have been optimised so that operators can carry out agile charging. The option offered is through type 2 CCS 80 kW fast chargers that replenish 350 kWh in just over four hours. However, a wide range of charging systems is available, from 20 kW chargers to 50, 100, 150 and 250 kW. For the most energy demanding applications, there is also the possibility of a range extender that allows the work task to be extended with an engine running on compressed natural gas. This technology allows the vehicle to work in 100% electric mode in urban centres and, once outside, to recharge the battery in order to be ready to drive in full electric mode when coming back to the city center.   Platform configurations The Irizar ie truck is currently available in two versions: a four-wheeled, two-axle truck with a maximum weight of 10.5 tonnes, a battery capacity of up to 340 kWh (offering a range of up to 250 km between charges) requiring up to 2 hours' charging time on a 150 kW input, and a 160 kW electric motor. The other is a six-wheel, three-axle truck powered by a 240 kW e-motor, with the same range between charges enabled by battery capacity of 340 kWh (with a 3 hour charge time at 150 kWh). Both trucks are notably constructed with low-floor with a cabin access step 37 cm off the ground, and a top cabin height at around 366.5 cm. Either model can come with a fully-electric powertrain or with a hybrid-electric range extender. In addition to these two configurations, which are already available, the Irizar Group has designed a four-axle truck to handle larger and heavier loads to cover more urban applications in the future.   Turnkey services and solutions Because the Irizar Group uses proprietary technology, it can offer fully customised turnkey projects, designed and created to meet the needs of its customers. From a study and analysis of the needs, through to the personalised vehicle proposal and technology to be incorporated, charging solutions, as well as predictive maintenance. It also enables systems to be updated, to ensure the maximum the service life of each vehicle, thus optimising the value of its assets. The Irizar ie truck sales and after-sales service is organised through the Group's worldwide subsidiary and distributor network. The Irizar service provides customised solutions, designed and created to offer the best in technical assistance, such as a 24 x 7 x 365 comprehensive repair, overhaul and maintenance service 24. In addition, the operator will have an exclusive after-sales and warranty service in the cities where electromobility solutions are incorporated with customised R&M (repair and maintenance) packages. A service that is comprehensively and centrally managed by technical experts and locally recruited staff, thus contributing to the generation of wealth and local employment. The quality of the Irizar service starts from the launch of the project: the customer will be accompanied throughout the life of the project, offering a comprehensive maintenance service for vehicles and infrastructure. The service network continues to expand and it is currently possible to locate an approved Irizar warranty workshop in all the places where the vehicles operate.   Irizar ie truck and the Irizar Group More than a century of experience and the technological capacity of seven companies The global vision of the electrification of cities, the experience of more than a century in automotive engineering, the synergies with charging infrastructures and bus and coach systems and components, together with the technological capacity generated in the Group, has enabled the range of products to be extended to industrial vehicles for cities. Irizar is a business group with an international presence that operates in the passenger transport, electromobility, energy, electronics, electric motors and generators and connectivity sectors. The Group consists of seven Spanish companies (Irizar, Irizar e-mobility, Alconza, Datik, Hispacold, Masats and Jema) with a total of 13 production plants in Spain, Morocco, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa, in addition to 22 of its own international companies and its own R&D Centre whose objective is applied research and technological development of the Group's own products and systems. Founded in 1889, the Irizar Group is today a solid group, with more than 3,000 staff, geographically and industrially diversified and constantly growing. It is firmly committed to the brand, technology and sustainability. Strategically, the Irizar Group is committed to battery and fuel cell technologies to achieve zero emissions. The Group's short-term technological road map addresses the development and manufacture of coaches, especially vehicles that travel long distances between refuelling stations and are powered by hydrogen fuel cells. This technology will gradually be extended to the rest of the Irizar Group's range of vehicles (buses and vehicles for urban applications). Technology is key and the Group's positioning strategy involves promoting innovation and the creation of its own high technology in strategic sectors with the aim of providing pioneering solutions that successfully anticipate the challenges of the future. The ultimate goal is to achieve a positive impact on the creation of wealth and employment,  as well as on the development of society and the economy.