Skoda E-City: 14 electric trolleybuses for Prague

The public transport company DPP of the Czech capital Prague has ordered 14 units of the Skoda E-City. Just recently, the 12-meter-long electric trolleybus, developed by Skoda Transportation in collaboration with its sister company Temsa, was presented at the 10th Central European Fair CzechBus.

“With the acquisition of new electric buses, DPP not only fulfills its strategy and concept for renewing its bus fleet using alternative fuels but also its climate commitments and the climate plan of the capital Prague. At the same time, this is the acquisition of the first own electric bus fleet, after we tested and operated various types of electric buses, which we only leased, in a trial operation for several years. This way, we were able to try out various technologies and gain valuable information,” said Petr Witowski, Chairman of the Board and CEO of DPP.

The new E-trolleybus model is intended to “ideally combine the advantages of traditional trolleybuses and modern electric buses,” explains the manufacturer.

“We have developed specific modifications for the existing solution that our sister company uses for its own vehicles, based on the experiences from previous joint projects. For example, the body was manufactured in Turkey according to our specifications. This was complemented by the best from our production – the complete electrical equipment including batteries and pantographs – the entire assembly and complete testing of the vehicle were carried out in our plant in Pilsen,” says Zdeněk Majer, Senior Vice President for Sales of the Škoda Transportation Group.

Details

According to the manufacturer, the low-floor, emission-free Skoda E-City meets the Czech type “Standard (Sd) for city lines,” has a length of 12 meters, and a top speed of 80 km/h.

Škoda guarantees a range of more than 100 km per charge over the entire lifetime of the installed lithium-ion battery, including interior heating or cooling. The charging power is up to 150 kW, and the charging process takes place via a two-pole pantograph mounted on the vehicle and an on-board, galvanically isolated charger directly from the 600 V/750 V DC network. The charging process at the terminal stops Strasnicka and Zelivskeho, during which part of the total battery capacity is replenished, takes around 15-30 minutes.

Additionally, there is the possibility to charge the electric trolleys overnight via plug-in at a socket in the depot.

The air conditioning and heating are also operated purely electrically. The driver’s cab is built in a closed manner to meet higher safety requirements. The exterior paintwork is in the new color scheme of the "Prague Integrated Transport" (PID) vehicles and its technical equipment meets the new PID quality standards.

There is space for 97 passengers on board, seats for passengers with disabilities are designated, as well as space for two strollers or wheelchairs. The Skoda E-City is equipped with a modern information and dispatch system, which also includes an automatic passenger counting system and aids for the visually impaired. Additionally, a camera system is available for the safety of the passengers.

Technical specifications of the Škoda E-City electric bus:

• Length: 12.095 m
• Width: 2.55 m
• Height: 3.3 m
• Wheelbase: 5,805 mm
• Gross vehicle weight: 19,000 kg
• Maximum speed: 80 km/h
• Number of doors: Three double-width external swing doors or internal swing doors
• Boarding height: 320 mm at all doors
• Total number of seats: min. 28 (including 2 folding seats)
• Total number of passengers: 69
• Expected lifespan: min. 12 years
• Motor power (continuous/peak): 160 kW
• Fast charging capability: up to 150 kW
• Optional depot charging: The vehicle is equipped with a standardized charging socket of type CCS 2.