ALP.Lab introduces the battery-electric city bus TORUS, a unique test platform in Austria that enables industry, mobility providers, municipalities, and research institutions to practically evaluate innovative mobility solutions. Developed in collaboration with eVersum mobility solutions and Virtual Vehicle Research, the 6.9-meter bus addresses the transformation of public transport, driven by electrification, digitalisation, and multimodal integration. TORUS provides an optimal solution by allowing the real-world testing of key emerging technologies, seamlessly integrating with proprietary systems. Businesses can utilise TORUS either as a Level 4 automated city bus or operate it manually as a battery-electric bus.
TORUS serves as a platform for various use cases: as an electric bus in commercial operation, as a connected and cooperative vehicle, or as a customised research vehicle for project-specific enhancements, such as control center communication or passenger integration. This versatility supports new mobility models that can enhance urban efficiency.
From 2025, TORUS will be fully operational in two modes:
This dual-mode functionality enables a broad range of real-world testing scenarios.
TORUS is characterised by an open-system architecture, allowing the flexible integration of software and hardware for project-specific adaptations. This openness fosters collaboration and innovation, driving the practical development of future mobility solutions.
The TORUS bus strengthens Austria’s research and innovation landscape by providing a versatile, open test platform for automated mobility.
By 2025, TORUS will be available for projects aimed at making mobility safer, more efficient, and more sustainable—a key contribution to the advancement of automated transportation in Austria.
» As an open-system test vehicle, TORUS offers maximum adaptability. Unlike closed systems, it allows new components or new software functions to be easily integrated and innovative mobility solutions to be tested in real time.«
Portrait Christoph Knauder © ALP.Lab GmbH
Christoph Knauder
Managing Director, ALP.Lab
Supported by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) and the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK).
