Mannheim got two electric buses powered by Bombardier PRIMOVE tehnology

Mannheim got two electric buses powered by Bombardier PRIMOVE tehnology

Jun 26, 2015  | Transport 

Mannheim got two electric buses powered by Bombardier PRIMOVE tehnology
(Photo by: Bombardier )

Bombardier Transportation has announced that starting June 22, the city centre bus line 63 in Mannheim, Germany, will be served by two fully electric buses charged and powered by the unique PRIMOVE technology.

Offering passengers a quiet and emission-free ride, the project proves PRIMOVE’s suitability for regular revenue service, even on demanding bus routes. Mannheim’s new e-bus line is the result of cooperation between regional transport operator Rhein-Neckar-Verkehr GmbH (rnv), Bombardier Transportation, the City of Mannheim, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, and Swiss bus manufacturer HESS AG. These project partners invited representatives from the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI), federal, regional and local politicians as well as the media to attend the official start of passenger revenue services on Monday when the first of two e-buses commenced operations on a nine-kilometer route.

The e-buses mark a world premiere for PRIMOVE. The 12-meter vehicles are the first of their kind to be equipped with the complete PRIMOVE package, which includes wireless charging technology, long-life battery system and a fully integrated propulsion system. Electrifying Mannheim’s bus line 63 presented a unique challenge. Not only does the line run through the heart of the city, but buses typically only rest at each stop for a very limited time. To meet this challenge, the PRIMOVE team installed a series of four fast, high-power charging stations at strategic locations along the line, plus one at each end stop, and one at the bus depot. 

With this arrangement, the innovative PRIMOVE system only needs to charge for about thirty seconds at each of the four charging stops and then for approximately five minutes at the end stops. This alone is enough to provide a single e-bus with sufficient energy to serve the entire route and eliminates the need for any additional charging or time consuming battery exchanges. With the Mannheim project, PRIMOVE makes sustainable mobility a reality and proves the systems’ capability – no matter how challenging the route may be. Furthermore, Mannheim’s two e-buses will save around 180 tons of CO2 per year, equal to the emissions of 74 personal cars.

Additionally, a fully electric PRIMOVE equipped van will also be used by Rhein-Neckar-Verkehr GmbH as a service and delivery vehicle. With a maximum range of 240 kilometers, it can easily complete its daily 80-kilometer service route after charging wirelessly at the depot for just 180 minutes on average. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure.

Via Bombardier
Image,video ©: Bombardier