Modular low floor bus

A method of assembling a low-floor road vehicle comprising:

• providing a front module having front and back sides and including a first steel frame and a front load-carrying axle near the front side, the front module including a driver's section configured to receive a driver's seat;
• providing a rear module having front and back sides and including a second steel frame and rear load-carrying axle;
• providing a flat floor having front and back opposite sides and two opposite lateral sides;
• the flat floor being selected from a plurality of flat floors, each being defined by a length;
• mounting the front module to the front side of the flat floor and the rear module to the back side of the flat floor;
• providing two lateral walls;
• mounting each of the two lateral walls to the flat floor on a respective lateral side thereof so as to extend upwardly from the flat floor;
• the two lateral walls having respective lengths adapted to extend beyond the front and back sides of the flat floor so as to define respective front and rear module connecting portions;
• attaching the front and rear module connecting portions to the front and rear modules respectively providing a roof;
• and
• attaching the roof onto the two lateral walls therebetween.

A low floor bus comprising:

• a front module having front and back sides and including a nose section on the front side, a front load-carrying axle in the nose section, and a driver's section extending from the nose section to the back side of the front module;
• the driver's section including an upper platform on a first lateral side thereof, a driver's seat on the upper platform, a lower platform longitudinally adjacent the upper platform on a second lateral side thereof;
• a rear module having front and back sides and including a rear load-carrying axle;
• and
• a central module including i) a flat floor having a front, a back and two lateral sides and being levelled with the lower platform of the front module, ii) first and second lateral walls, each including an aluminum frame and being mounted to the flat floor so as to extend upwardly from a respective lateral side thereof, iii) a roof mounted onto the first and second lateral walls therebetween;
• the flat floor being attached at its front side to the front module at the back side thereof and at its back side to the rear module at the front thereof;
• the first and second lateral walls extending a) longitudinally beyond the front side of the flat floor so as to define a front module attaching portion that connects to the front module, and b) longitudinally beyond the back side of the flat floor so as to define a rear module attaching portion that receives the rear module therebetween;
• the front module attaching portion of one of the first and second lateral walls including a door registered with the driver's seat.