The D45 CRTe LE CHARGE, MCI’s first all-electric coach designed for long distance travel, was tested by FlixBus on a round trip from San Francisco to Sacramento on Monday. This test was the first of its kind in the U.S. — FlixBus also launched the world’s first E-Buses on long-distance lines in 2018 beginning in France and Germany.

After the successful test run, FlixBus will work with bus partners and MCI to order the coaches in 2020 for key corridors including Los Angeles to San Diego, San Francisco to Sacramento, Portland to Seattle, and New York to Philadelphia. MCI says it has developed the MCI D45 CRTe LE CHARGE at a time when both public and private transport operators are looking for zero-emission options.

Bus travel is already the most-sustainable form of long-distance travel in the U.S. as well as many other countries. But, in a time of urgent climate needs, FlixMobility has dedicated itself to being 100% carbon neutral by 2030, whether by electric, hydrogen, biogas, or other clean power alternatives.

The U.S. is the third country in the world where FlixBus has been the first to launch electric, long-distance buses.

MCI says it plans to deliver a 100% electric coach that performs the same or better than their current clean diesel, hybrid, and CNG models.

The MCI D45 CRTe LE CHARGE will feature a 750-volt high-torque Siemens electric drive motor with 350 HP and maximum torque of 3,320 ft-lb, powered by a 389 kWh (also available up to 544 kWh) energy storage system built on the ultra-high energy NMC lithium-ion cell platform from US-based XALT Energy. To meet long-distance commuter needs, this model’s high-power plug-in battery follows the J1772 interoperability standard, and charges to full in less than three hours with a 150 kW in-depot charger.

The model is also equipped with MCI Connect Telematic, a system that measures key performance metrics, including distance and time on route, auxiliary systems, along with battery efficiencies related to grade, and ambient temperature in real time.