The first electric buses for Prague go into trial operation. In Pilsen
The new electric bus is to travel around Prague with passengers by the end of the year.
Testing of the first Škoda 36BB E’CITY electric bus will begin in the streets of Pilsen tomorrow. This is the first car from a series of 14 two-pole battery electric buses from Škoda, which Dopravní podnik hl. The City of Prague (DPP) competed in a public contract. The vehicle is already in the basic colors of the new style of Prague Integrated Transport.
Test drives in Pilsen will take place without passengers. During them, Škoda Transportation will test basic vehicle functions in preparation for the homologation of an electric bus for operation in the Czech Republic. He will ride mainly on the route from Borské Pole, through Milady Horáková Square to Černice, from where he will return via the feeder to Přeštice to Borská Pole. DPP and Škoda Transportation plan to present the electric bus to the public at the Czechbus bus fair in Prague.
The purpose of the test runs is to verify that the prototype electric bus is ready to begin type tests and homologations. During test drives, the manufacturer verifies, for example, the correct settings for use, brakes and charging or the range in different modes or whether the vehicle is accelerating as it should. In addition, it tests the heating, ventilation and software control functions. Test drives should also reveal minimal vibration or no noise from the engine axles. In Prague, the electric bus should appear in trial operation in October.
Turkish body, Czech armament
The contract in Prague was won by Škoda Electric, a joint project with its sister company Temsa from Turkey. Temsa supplies the body for the electric bus; complete electrical equipment, including batteries, is supplied by Škoda Electric. The bodies travel from Turkey to Pilsen on a truck semitrailer
“We firmly believe that we will be able to take the first passengers in Prague by new electric bus before this Christmas and take over the remaining 13 vehicles by the end of January 2022. In the meantime, we are intensively preparing for them and building a charging infrastructure for garages Strašnická and Želivského stops,“Said Petr Witowski, Chairman of the Board and CEO of DPP.
“Modern transport in the city demands a modern and ecological solution. Our new Škoda E’CITY electric bus meets these parameters and has a unique charging solution. During the day when it is in operation, it is charged using a pantograph directly from the existing infrastructure for tram or future-planned trolleybus lines. At night, his battery is fully charged in the garage. It is thus suitable for cities that already have this management, and Prague will thus suitably supplement the current fleet of vehicles. Passengers and residents of the city will certainly appreciate the great comfort in the form of a quiet ride,“Complemented by Petr Brzezina, President of the Škoda Transportation Group.
Recharging in Vršovice and at the end
DPP is currently building a charging infrastructure in the Vršovice garage and at the final stops of Strašnická and Želivského. A load-bearing structure and masts for charging overhead contact lines are currently being built in all three places. On Strašnická and Želivského, the construction, including contact stations, is practically completed, all that remains is to supplement the signaling of the voltage state, to perform the relevant tests and electrical inspection of the equipment. Connections to the overhead contact line from the changing Strašnice are also completed.
“In the Vršovice garage, we have recently been able to test and specify the positions of individual paragraphs of electric buses with regard to safe and comfortable departure and entry of vehicles to charging points. We are currently preparing the installation of load-bearing elements, including charging contact stations. The power supply technology of the changing Michle is already ready, we expect the completion and commissioning of these charging points in the first half of November this year. After the delivery of the first electric bus, the vehicles will be tested not only on the line, but also in the correct settings, and I must adjust the positions of the trolley at all charging points so as to ensure future trouble-free operation,“Closes Jan Barchánek, Head of the DPP Buses Operation Unit.
DPP operations use new vehicles mainly on lines 154 and 213. The total value of the contract, including possible options (for example, for the purchase of new batteries) is 207 million crowns.
The Škoda E’CITY is a low-floor battery electric bus of the M3 / I category with full-vehicle air conditioning and a transport capacity of 69 people. To help boarding and alighting passengers, it is equipped with a body tilt system (so-called Kneeling), which allows you to lower the boarding edge of the door. The electric bus is equipped with a device for automatic counting of transported passengers and a camera system, including accident cameras.
The manufacturer provides a warranty period of 67 months for the vehicle and 85 months for the traction battery, which means that the electric bus must be able to obtain a declared range of 100 in normal city traffic, including the use of air conditioning or heating.
Basic technical data of the Škoda E’City electric bus
Manufacturer: Škoda Electric as
Length: 12,095 meters
Width: 2.55 meters
Height: 3.3 meters
Wheelbase: 5,805 mm
Total maximum weight: 19,000 kg
Top speed: 80 km / h
Number of axles: 2
Number of driven axles: 1
Number of steered axles: 1
Number of doors: 3 double doors
Boarding height: 32 cm
Total number of seats: 28 (of which 2 folding)
Total number of passengers: 69
Declared service life: 12 years
Guaranteed declared range: 100 km in normal city traffic using air conditioning or heating
Engine power: 160 kW
Fast charging power: up to 150 kW
Backup plug-in charging: The vehicle is equipped with a standardized charging socket type CCS 2.
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