Milan orders 50 more trolleybuses fitted with Kiepe Electric IMC® technology

By OEM Update Editorial March 29, 2022 6:22 pm IST

Modena and Parma mass transit authorities also rely on electrical equipment from Kiepe Electric for their new Solaris IMC trolleybuses.

By 2030, almost the entire ATM Milano bus fleet should be running on electricity – and Kiepe Electric is actively supporting this project by supplying reliable, sustainable IMC® technology. ATM Milano has now secured a contract option to purchase additional Trollino trolleybuses from Solaris Bus & Coach, fitted with drive systems from Kiepe Electric. The trolleybus line is the main bus backbone of Milan’s mass transit system. Laid out in a ring around the city centre, it acts as an efficient feeder for the many streetcar lines that serve various parts of the city, for example. IMC® trolleybuses charge their batteries while running on electricity from overhead lines, switching over to battery-powered mode wherever overhead lines are not available. This allows for highly flexible route planning.

“Emission-free drives for buses are an important part of the mobility revolution, contributing to a better quality of life for society in general. So we’re delighted to be able to support the shift to eco-friendly city mobility in Milan, one of Italy’s major economic and cultural centres, with our e-mobility solutions,” says Dr. Peter Radina, Member of the Management Board of Knorr-Bremse Rail Vehicle Systems and responsible for Kiepe Electric.

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The Kiepe Electric drive technology in ATM Milano’s trolleybuses has proved its reliability over more than two decades. Back in 2020, 30 Solaris trolleybuses from a previous order entered service in Milan. Like the 50 buses to come, their electrical systems were supplied exclusively by Kiepe Electric. Each system includes power converters for traction, as well as motors, powerful 45 kWh lithium-titanate-oxide traction batteries, and auxiliary systems. During bus journeys, the system transfers up to 200 kW of energy from the overhead lines to the modular traction battery, giving each bus a range of up to 24 battery-powered kilometres. This obviates the need for prolonged recharging at each end of the route. The smart energy management system is also capable of feeding energy back into the overhead line network from the high-performance battery. Thanks to this e-drive system, IMC buses are capable of providing continuous – potentially 24/7 – service, thus effectively have an “unlimited range”.

For more info, visit: knorr-bremse.com