Skip to main content

Vienna’s first electric bus goes into operation

The first electric bus (eBus) to be used in Austria’s capital city of Vienna has been put into service by the municipal transport authority, Wiener Linien, the first operator in Europe to implement and integrate eBuses into scheduled service. Designed and developed by Siemens Rail Systems and bus manufacturer Rampini, the vehicle is the first of twelve with which Wiener Linien intends to move two of the city's bus services to electric power by the summer of 2013. The vehicle’s total energy requirement is st
October 31, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
The first electric bus (eBus) to be used in Austria’s capital city of Vienna has been put into service by the municipal transport authority, 4203 Wiener Linien, the first operator in Europe to implement and integrate eBuses into scheduled service.

Designed and developed by 189 Siemens Rail Systems and bus manufacturer Rampini, the vehicle is the first of twelve with which Wiener Linien intends to move two of the city's bus services to electric power by the summer of 2013.

The vehicle’s total energy requirement is stored in the onboard lithium ferrite battery system, which also supplies the heating and air-conditioning systems.  The battery charger is installed on the bus, which recharges at each bus stop via an elevating, roof-mounted pantograph. Battery capacity is 96 kilowatt hours, and the batteries can be recharged within fifteen minutes, and provide a range of between 120 to 150 km.  Energy regained from braking is regenerated through the three-phase motors, and fed back into the batteries.  The batteries are fully recharged over night when the bus is stationery in the depot.

The compact low-floor bus can carry up to 40 passengers, and its top speed is limited to 62 kilometers per hour. The bus itself does not emit any CO2, and is almost silent. Siemens claims eBuses require 25 percent less energy than petrol or diesel-powered buses, are less expensive to maintain and are completely emission-free in operation.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Ho Chi Minh City plans rapid bus system
    October 23, 2012
    As part of an initiative to develop a modern transport system for Ho Chi Minh City, the municipal administration plans to spend around US$152 million on a bus rapid transit (BRT) project that will run along the 25km Vo Van Kiet – Mai Chi Tho boulevard, connecting the eastern and western parts of the city. The BRT system is expected to have 30 modern buses and, according to the municipal transport department, is a feasible solution for traffic congestion problems. A green corridor that will use solar energy
  • Nobina adds special services to bus operations in Denmark
    February 19, 2019
    Bus operator Nobina is to acquire parts of public transport company Örslev Holding to offer special public transport services in Denmark. The scope of the DKr.15.5 million (£1.8m) deal includes 16 buses which offer regular services in South Zealand coastal area and 21 buses for special needs transportation. Nobina has also taken steps to transition in the electric mobility space. In 2018, the company deployed 13 electric buses from Volvo Buses in the Swedish city of Malmö. The Volvo 7900 Electric buses
  • Abu Dhabi seeks safe and efficient multi-modal ITS solutions
    December 17, 2014
    Abu Dhabi’s Department of Transport is planning to roll out its second phase ITS Strategy and Action Plan through to 2019 which will deploy a host of innovative multimodal ITS solutions. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is continuing to experience rapid growth in both its economy and population and none more so than its capital, Abu Dhabi. To cope with the current expansion, and in anticipation of future growth, the Abu Dhabi Surface Transport Master Plan has been devised by its Department of Transport and th
  • Vehicle ownership - a thing of the past?
    May 22, 2012
    Convergence of electron-powered vehicles with connected vehicle technologies could mean that only a few decades from now the idea of owning a vehicle will be entirely alien to the road user. By Technolution chief scientist Dave Marples with Jason Barnes Even when taken individually, many of the developments going on and around vehiclebased mobility will bring about major changes in transportation. Taken collectively, the transformations we might expect are nothing short of profound. Enumeration of the influ