Isuzu starts selling Erga EV

Isuzu Motors Limited has officially commenced retail operations for the Erga EV in its home country — months after it was showcased at the Japan Mobility Show (JMS) 2023.

Serving as the first bus in Japan to have fully flat floor design, Isuzu noted that the aforementioned battery electric vehicle (BEV) “will be at the forefront of introducing next-generation buses in Japan, driving the momentum towards carbon neutrality in public transportation.”

Erga EV specifications

The Isuzu Erga EV measures 10,545 millimeters (mm) long; 2,485 mm wide; and 3,330 mm tall with a 4,990-mm wheelbase. Its dimensions let the vehicle carry 70 seats inside the cabin and offers a minimum turning radius of 7.8 mm.

Moving the vehicle are AC induction motors fitted into each side of the rear axle. Its power comes from the high-voltage lithium-ion battery installed on the roof and under the floor — allowing a lowered floor design for enhanced passenger convenience and safety.

Since it runs on electric motors, the short wheelbase battery-powered bus assures smooth acceleration as well as reduced noise and vibration.

Its 245-kilowatt-hour battery (which can be juiced up from 20-80 percent in 3.2 hours) can also act as a power source as it also has a vehicle-to-load feature.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the Isuzu Erga EV’s powertrain-battery combination lets the bus cover as much as 360 kilometers (when driven under a constant speed of 30 kilometers per hour in Japan roads).

Further, the Yokohama-headquartered marque boasted that the Erga EV is also the first route bus in Japan to be equipped with a driver status monitor and emergency driving stop system, which detect driver abnormalities and bring the vehicle to a safe stop even on a slope.

It also has a myriad of driver assistive technologies like the blind spot monitor that detects and alerts the driver of pedestrians or bicycles beside the bus.

With a suggested retail price of around JPY 65.781 million (approximately P24.274 million), the Japanese truck manufacturer is targeting to sell 150 Isuzu Erga EV units per year.

Photos from Isuzu, Ruben Manahan IV

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