The highspeed all-electric Superbus is being developed by a program at the Delft Institute of Technology headed up by physicist and former astronaut Wubbo Ockels, who in 1985 became the first Dutch citizen to travel into.
At just less than 50 feet (15 meters) long and more than eight feet wide, the bus has aluminum subframes in both front and rear and a variable ride height to clear speed bumps on city streets and to reduce aerodynamic drag when on high-speed runs. The Superbus also has 16 gullwing doors (8 doors per side) to welcome up to 23 passengers inside.
The electric Superbus has a theoretical range of 134 miles per charge (210 km) and a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h).
Dubai and Abu Dhabi have reportedly shown interest in building a road between the two United Arab Emirates with a dedicated lane for a fleet of zero-emissions Superbuses, which would run on electricity generated by solar power and complete the 75-mile journey in just 30 minutes.
While the Superbus is still a few years from production, with the license plate it can now be tested on public roads in the Netherlands.
Technical specifications
| Power train | Electric motors powered by lithium polymer battery pack and regenerative braking |
| Power output | 300 kW, peak at 600 kW for 1 minute |
| Driving range | 210 km |
| Acceleration | 0-100 km/h 0.1g in comfort mode |
| Braking | 250-0 km/h in less than 200m |
| Cruising speed | 250 km/h (155 mph) |
| Length | 15,000 mm (49.21 ft) |
| Width | 2,550 mm (8.20 ft) |
| Height | 1,650 mm (5.41 ft) |
| Weight | 9,500 kg fully loaded |
| Weight distribution | 34/66 |
| Torsional stiffness | 30000 Nm/deg |
| Suspension | Air springs and frequency selective dampers system with lifting subframe in aluminum |
| Ride height range | 330 mm (70mm to 400mm) |
| Chassis frame | Carbon fiber |
| Bodywork | IXIS Thermoplastic reinforced fiberglass |
| Glazing | Lexan Polycarbonate |
| Driving mode | Driver assisted controlled on existing roads, autopilot on Supertrack |
| Equipped with | Seat belts, airbags, TV, internet, air-conditioning, heating, etc |
| Provided with | Navigation system, obstacle detection, communication system, fail safe system and control system |
