The road to the development of electromobility in the Czech's Prague: from electric buses to ... trolleybuses?

Abstract

The article attempts to present an indirect solution between classic electric buses and trolleybuses – vehicles with a dynamic charging system – In Motion Charging (IMC). It is a system that involves the construction of an overhead catenary „trolleybus type” on a selected part of the route. The traction infrastructure covers approx. 30–40% of the route length, which allows to recharge traction batteries installed in vehicles. This solution allows to limit the capacity, and therefore also the weight of the battery by over 60%. The solution tested in Prague is particularly valuable for cities with diverse topography and large area denivelations, where classic electric buses do not meet expectations. In addition, the IMC system is attractive for the majority of urban centers, due to the commonly occurring traffic congestion. The hybrid IMC system allows to eliminate the weakest features of trolleybuses, making the solution also economically efficient.