KGM Commercial (hereinafter KGMC) said on the 8th that it has finalized the model name of the 7m low-floor electric bus it developed as the first in Korea (project name 'KG C070') as E-STANA and completed certification for launch preparations.
E-STANA is KG Mobility (hereinafter KGM) said the company finalized the model name by changing the first alphabet of the brand name 'ISTANA,' which was launched in 1995 and beloved in the small van market for about 10 years, from 'I' to 'E (Electric)' to express its determination to make a new leap as an eco-friendly mobility corporation in the era of electric vans.
KG said its Istana (ISTANA) means 'palace' in Minang (Malay-Indonesian), and that E-STANA was chosen to convey that KGMC will inherit the brand's reputation as a 'palace on wheels,' offering convenience, comfort and safety in mobility, through KGMC's electrification technology.
The 7m low-floor electric bus E-STANA developed by KGMC as the first in Korea was developed as a village (city) bus (23 seats) and a private bus (22 seats) respectively, considering Korea's narrow road conditions, and with a length of 7,800mm and width of 2,095mm it is suitable for roads where operating large city buses is difficult, and with a height of 2,980mm it provides a generous sense of space.
It also features driver convenience and safety equipment such as a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, electronic parking brake system (EPB), electronic brake system (EBS), auto hold, electronic stability control (ESC), and rear collision warning (RCW), and also applies a wheelchair boarding convenience device (based on the city bus).
Private buses such as children's school buses and tour buses additionally are capable of highway operation and are equipped with lane departure warning system (LDWS), forward collision warning (FCW), adaptive cruise control (ACC), and automatic emergency braking system (AEBS) to actively control various hazardous situations and help ensure safe operation.
In addition, E-STANA is equipped with Samsung SDI's 154.8kWh lithium-ion high-voltage battery and can travel 328km on a single charge, and it enhances safety by including a battery cell internal thermal potential prevention function. The rear-wheel-drive electric motor produces a maximum output of 243kW.
A KGMC official said E-STANA village (city) buses have completed vehicle certification procedures with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment and are undergoing electric vehicle subsidy and eco-friendly vehicle registration procedures, and that private buses are preparing certification procedures, adding that once all procedures are completed, full-scale mass production will begin and formal contracts will be executed.
With the addition of the 7m low-floor electric bus, KGMC plans to expand its product lineup and broaden the market by including eco-friendly 11m and 9m buses as well as medium- and large-sized intercity buses.
[OSEN]