Albi, November 22, 2022
First French manufacturer of hydrogen buses and precursor in the retrofit of hydrogen buses, SAFRA presents its latest innovation during the AGIR days which are held in Nice on November 23 and 24. Each year, this exhibition brings together mobility professionals and offers a wide range of conferences, this year focused on mobility and the climate emergency. SAFRA, committed to low-carbon mobility, will unveil its new brand VHYSION®, a portal of connected services and solutions, which allows, among other things, the management of bus fleets.
VHYSION®, a digital platform to help operators manage their fleets
In order to better support its customers, SAFRA has developed a tailor-made service dedicated to the maintenance and monitoring of their vehicle fleets. These services are gathered in a functional and intuitive portal, entirely developed by SAFRA, and marketed under the VHYSION® brand. This online platform includes 3 service offers: VHYSION Fleet, VHYSION Report and VHYSION Diag.
The Fleet service allows to control and operate the fleet, to optimize the availability of the vehicles, and to perfectly control the costs related to the exploitation. Vhysion Report, gives access to numerous reports allowing to visualize the data of the vehicles of the fleet in real time, and to export all the data from the signals available on the vehicles by applying filters defined by the use for perfect control of the fleet. Finally, the DIAG service assists maintenance staff in resolving faults and visualizing defects thanks to the data from the connected vehicles, in order to anticipate maintenance and faults, and to optimize vehicle operations to obtain the best availability rate. Depending on the package chosen, defects can be acknowledged using a tablet. The platform also provides access to an interactive document area where all vehicle-related documentation is available, from training manuals to user guides. The Application Program Interface (API) option allows the direct integration of ITxPT data in the customer information systems. This web platform is completed by a workshop equipment (tablet and special connectors) supporting offline diagnostic and maintenance assistance functions.
This highly functional customer portal will allow users to manage their bus fleet in real time, optimize the performance of their vehicles, while controlling operating costs. The VHYSION tool will be directly accessible via the safra.fr website, with secure authentication, all this in the perfect respect of data security, and more particularly of cybersecurity.
HYCITY®, the full hydrogen bus manufactured by SAFRA
SAFRA is taking advantage of its presence at the AGIR Days to promote its brand new full hydrogen bus, the HYCITY®. The vehicle, launched in its 12m version (2 and 3 doors) in June 2022, is continuing its industrial development at a controlled pace and will be unveiled for the first time at the UITP trade fair to be held in Barcelona in early June 2023. Numerous commercial offers are underway, including full maintenance of the vehicle and the hydrogen fuel cell. Through CATP, the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region was the first to formalize its order for delivery in September 2023, the industrial starting point for the mass production of the Hycity.
This vehicle, with a more standardized size, can carry a little over a hundred passengers on a flat floor, with 2 or 3 doors depending on the customer’s request. Equipped with the latest hydrogen technologies, its approval integrates the recent directives and regulations in terms of safety and cyber security, guaranteeing perfect control of the vehicle’s operating data.
As a reminder, the HYCITY® integrates a 2×125 kW ZF motorized axle, a 45 kW Symbio fuel cell, a 130 kWh MICROVAST NMC battery, all supplied with hydrogen thanks to the 6 Plastic OMNIUM type 4 tanks that allow 35 kg of hydrogen to be stored on the roof. The battery is only used for peak power, the fuel cell working at a constant power level. The HYCITY® full H2 therefore uses only hydrogen as traction energy, and recharges its battery autonomously, without any need for a recharging infrastructure.
H2-PACK, the hydrogen retrofit kit for coaches
SAFRA has also developed this year a brand new product, the H2-PACK®, a kit allowing to retrofit diesel coaches with hydrogen. This kit, highly anticipated in the intercity transport market, is presented on the SAFRA stand. It is currently being installed in the company’s workshops in Albi, on 15 Mercedes Intouro intercity coaches, following the contract won by SAFRA in 2021 with the Occitanie region. In spring 2023, this kit will be approved for mass production.
The H2-PACK® uses the same type 4 fuel tanks as the HYCITY®, manufactured by Plastic Omnium, to power a fuel cell from the same manufacturer that develops 70 kW. A 350 kW Dana TM4 electric traction motor replaces the original gearbox and also ensures the vehicle’s slowing down. The 71 kWh MICROVAST NMC battery will complete the architecture of the H2-PACK® and is recharged exclusively by the fuel cell, without the need for external recharging.
About Safra
Safra, a French company, is a historic player in the renovation of passenger transport equipment and a pioneer in hydrogen mobility. The company’s strategy is based on environmental, societal and sovereignty issues, in order to become the leading gas pedal of the energy transition through the sustainable decarbonization of public transport in Europe.
Safra offers solutions that perfectly meet the needs of transport authorities for the decarbonization of their fleets: the construction and marketing of hydrogen-powered buses, the retrofitting of diesel coaches with hydrogen, the renovation and heavy maintenance of passenger transport vehicles, and customer service. More information on: www.safra.fr