Fast Charging Electric Bus Does Overtime

Electric buses are an eco-friendly alternative to diesel. With several project partners, Fraunhofer researchers have developed a concept to swiftly recharge buses while they operate routes. System testing in Dresden has been underway since November last year.

Electric vehicles are supposed to make urban transport more environmentally friendly in the future. Using buses for short-range public transportation is a good way of helping to implement this vision: fixed routes and stops make it easier to plan and provide the requisite infrastructure. In addition, public transport sets an example to the wider public. “However, electric buses will only gain acceptance if they adapt to established operational practices and do not create a need for additional vehicles or personnel,” says Dr. Thoralf Knote from the Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems IVI. This poses some challenges: regular urban public transport buses travel up to 400 kilometers a day without returning to the depot. To supply the electric energy this requires, huge batteries would be needed, for which there is not enough space available in a bus. The alternative is to quickly recharge the vehicle’s battery while it is serving its route – for example, while the bus is waiting at the terminus. This requires high charging capacity.