Overview
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Up to the present, an all-electric bus operation is only possible over short distances, unless the batteries can be recharged along the route. The objective of the E-Bus Berlin project is to prove that electric buses with interim charging can already now be deployed for everyday use and that this makes sense both ecologically as well as economically. To achieve this, an electric bus line will be established in the centre of Berlin. An inductive charging system will enable wireless recharging during the very short waiting time at the termini. The tests in day-to-day operations should not just deliver practical experience about charging technology and its suitability for mass use, but also show the added value of an emission-free and low-noise vehicle and a charging technology which is integrated unobtrusively into the cityscape.
Within the framework of the project, eight buses from the manufacturer Bombardier will be equipped with electric drive and an inductive charging system. The buses will be used during a 21-month test operation on a bus line in the centre of the capital. For a rapid recharge during the short waiting times at the termini, a charging pad with primary coil is to be embedded in the road. Its counterpart is a secondary coil, embedded in the floor of the vehicle, which receives the power through an electromagnetic field, thus charging the batteries in the bus. The occasional interim charging should enable the battery capacity to be minimised to a size of 60kWh. The trial operations will be accompanied by a scientific study and evaluated with regard to environmental performance, efficiency and user acceptance. At the same time, a concept for the conversion of short-distance public transportation to electric operation will be prepared and analysed.