Alstom presented its new range of ground-based recharging systems, SRS, dedicated to electric buses as part of the PALOMA pilot project underway in Malaga, Spain.
The pilot project sees a prototype of SRS for e-buses operating at a bus stop in front of the University of Malaga’s School of Industrial Engineering. It is equipped with a 200kW charger and is associated with a twelve-meter (39-foot) Linkker e-bus which is running on Bus Line 1, operated by EMT, the local transport operator.
PALOMA (Prototype for Alternative Operation of Mobility Assets) is a pilot project co–financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund and the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI) funding tool. Alstom is leading a consortium with partners Endesa, a Spanish utilities provider, and Mansel, an electrification contractor, and working with the support of the city of Malaga, transport operator EMT Malaga and the University of Malaga. The objective is to create the world’s first operating prototype of an automatic, ground-level rapid charging system for a 100 percent electric bus.
“This installation of SRS for e-buses in an important step for both Alstom and the city of Malaga, taking us a step further in the move towards fully sustainable urban mobility,” said Eric Marie, vice president of systems and infrastructure, Alstom. “We are proud of what has been achieved in collaboration with our consortium partners Endesa and Mansel, and of course the support of the city of Malaga and EMT Malaga, both of which are now pioneers. The project in Spain shows a way forward for the smooth operation of the enormous electric bus fleets we will see in coming years across Europe.”
Cities are increasingly committing to ambitious decarbonization targets, with some including Paris, France, Brussels, Belgium, and Madrid, Spain, aiming to eradicate internal combustion engines by 2030. Electric buses feature prominently in these roadmaps, driving demand for recharging systems that are efficient, unobtrusive and compatible with varied and growing electric bus fleets.
According to the company, Alstom’s SRS for e-buses offers advantages to cities and bus operators, such as a safe, ground-level, conductive, static recharge system allowing the charging of on-board equipment automatically, in “top-up” mode in a few minutes on a bus line, or within the depots, when off duty. As a ground-based solution, it eliminates the need for overhead infrastructure in cities, preserving the aesthetics of the urban landscape. In depots, SRS avoids the infrastructure costs associated with overhead charging systems and ease of maintenance, with onboard access compatible with existing pits within workshops. SRS is scalable, interoperable and non-proprietary, meaning it can be used for fleets of various bus types, regardless of manufacturer or changes in battery technology.
SRS for e-buses is based on Alstom’s SRS static recharge technology for trams, a solution already in operation in Nice, France. For more than 15 years, Alstom has been developing and deploying catenary-free recharge solutions that enable the complete technical and aesthetic integration of trams into historic city centers.
