Second-generation BEV Thomas Built school bus Jouley with new 14Xe eAxle from Accelera
January 10, 2025By Jos Haas
News / Noticias
North America / América Del Norte
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Thomas Built Buses, subsidiary of Daimler Truck North America, announces the launch of the second-generation Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley battery-electric school bus. The new generation has a compact, all-in-one power source, the new 14Xe eAxle from Accelera, the zero-emissions technology brand of Cummins Inc., integrates the motor, two-speed transmission, disc brakes and rear-drive gear set into one package mounted on the rear axle. It removes the need for a traditional driveshaft, making the drivetrain lighter, more efficient and reducing complexity.
This new 14Xe eAxle, coupled with Accelera’s ELFA inverter, delivers power directly to the wheels, enhancing acceleration and torque. Accelera's eAxle enables shorter wheelbase architectures, improving the overall manoeuvrability of the vehicle. Because of this Thomas Built managed to offer a new 219 inch (5,56 m) wheelbase, in this second-generation Jouley. Thomas Built stated it is a "highly requested feature by customers that accommodates up to 60 passengers". The design of the eAxle, according to Accelera, "simplifies maintenance by reducing the number of moving parts and centralizing major components, which leads to lower service costs and improved uptime for school districts". This second-generation Jouley is equipped with an 800-volt Proterra battery system (battery capacity of 246 kWh, performance 220 kw / 295 hp). Production of the second-generation Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley with the 219-inch (5,56 m) wheelbase at the Thomas Built Buses Manufacturing Plant in High Point, has already begun. Additional wheelbase options will be coming in 2025. Originally introduced in 2017, the iconic Jouley is the brand’s flagship electric bus. More than 1.000 Jouley buses have been delivered to North American customers so far.
