IAV Elcty: Promotional tour on the home stretch

Less than a month earlier, the tech solution provider IAV was awarded the sustainability prize of the ATZ/MTZ Group and the management consultancy Arthur D. Little for the conversion kit.

The Elcty double-decker kicked off its very first passenger service on Whit Saturday with sightseeing tours of Brandenburg’s state capital for the provider Potsdam City Tour. From Potsdam, the tour continued to Schwerin and Hamburg before the Elcty bus reached Germany’s northernmost major city, Kiel.

There, the converted double-decker was presented to the public on Thursday as part of a test drive event by City Sightseeing Kiel GmbH. Ralf Pelzel, the company’s site manager, made it clear that City Sightseeing Kiel is committed to converting its double-deckers to emission-free e-vehicles to contribute to the city’s climate strategy.

“For us city tour providers, in addition to zero emissions, noise and odour is also a decisive factor,” says Potsdam City Tour Managing Director Dirk Poguntke. “This means our guests can relax and enjoy the ride and follow the words of the tour guide. Of course, the e-buses are also much more pleasant for people in the surrounding area. And over the long term, maintenance of electric buses in operation is cheaper. I only see plus points.”

The promotional tour for the Elcty drive system concludes in the Hanseatic city of Wismar after a stopover in the Hanseatic city of Lübeck. There, the electrified double-decker will be on regular service with Stadtrundfahrten Wismar GmbH at the weekend. The final highlight in Wismar will be a test drive on Monday as part of a “Meet and Greet” event for representatives from politics and the media.

Operators of sightseeing bus fleets and other companies interested in IAV’s modular e-parts kit for commercial vehicles still have until 15 July to submit applications for federal funding.