2019-10-02
Transdev reinforces its position as Europe’s leading electric mobility provider with pilot project in Schwäbisch Hall
“I am very proud of this project, because its success was only possible here on the ground through the excellent collaboration of numerous departments of Transdev GmbH with our longstanding company Stadtbus Schwäbisch Hall. As a result we are consolidating our position as Europe’s market leader for zero emission electric mobility. At the same time it helps drive forward the shift to a sustainable transport system in Germany,” says Dr. Tobias Heinemann, spokesman for the board of management of Transdev GmbH.
With 43 subsidiaries, the Transdev Group is the world’s largest mobility company worldwide. And with around 600 electric vehicles, it is also the leading zero emission mobility operator in Europe. As of today, another three zero emission vehicles will be added to this total thanks the collaboration between Stadtbus Schwäbisch Hall GmbH, the state of Baden-Württemberg, the city of Schwäbisch Hall and the Voith Group.
The new innovative vehicles have low-floor technology and are therefore completely barrier-free. They have a range of up to 200 kilometers and are charged overnight with electricity exclusively from regenerative energy sources. The Voith Electrical Drive System comprises the electric motor including inverter, control units with energy management software and monitoring and control of the auxiliary consumers. The compact, water-cooled permanent magnet motor with a high power density of 340 kW ensures further energy savings and makes almost no noise. This reduces noise exposure and pollution for the population of Schwäbisch Hall.
The basis for this successful project is above all the strategic and technological cooperation with the Voith Group. The partnership will also continue in the future, as the companies plan to jointly trial and optimize electrical drive systems in vehicles for public transport.
“If we want clean cities in the future we have to limit private transport and at the same time offer sustainable public transport solutions. That is why I am especially pleased that the first buses with our Voith Electrical Drive System are going into operation in Schwäbisch Hall,” adds Gerd Schneider, SVP Global KAM & Sales Excellence at Voith.
The electric buses are easy for customers to recognize because each of the three e-buses was given its own individual design. The buses are special on the inside too: A monitor informs passengers about the amount of CO2 being saved due to using the electric bus, and the roof liner of the bus was painted blue.
A great deal of preparatory work and tests were necessary to ensure that the electric buses run smoothly. The vehicles themselves were trialed in scheduled services over several thousand kilometers. In addition, all the drivers got special training, the route was optimized and the depot was adapted to meet the statutory requirements for maintenance of the buses.
About Stadtbus Schwäbisch Hall GmbH
Stadtbus Schwäbisch Hall GmbH is part of the internationally operating Transdev Group. In Germany, its workforce of more than 6,900 achieves revenue of around 1 billion euros, making the Transdev Group the largest private provider of public transport in the local rail and bus segment in Germany. Every year it carries around 255 million passengers safely and comfortably to their destinations.
About the company
The Voith Group is a global technology company. With its broad portfolio of systems, products, services and digital applications, Voith sets standards in the markets of energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, the company today has more than 19,000 employees, sales of € 4.2 billion and locations in over 60 countries worldwide and is thus one of the larger family-owned companies in Europe.
More about the Voith Group
The Group Division Voith Turbo is part of the Voith Group and a specialist for intelligent drive technology, systems as well as tailor-made services. With its innovative and smart products, Voith offers highest efficiency and reliability. Customers from highly diverse industries such as oil and gas, energy, mining and mechanical engineering, ship technology, rail and commercial vehicles rely on the advanced technologies and digital applications of Voith.