The Île-de-France region and the transport authority Île-de-France Mobilités have chosen the transport solution from the Van Hool – Kiepe Electric – Alstom consortium.
This solution is composed of 24-meter (79-foot), bi-articulated Van Hool electric buses, powered by Kiepe Electric's high-power fast-charging batteries, which will be charged by Alstom's conductive ground-based static charging system (SRS). The framework contract includes a minimum of 56 vehicles.
“We are happy and proud that Van Hool, in close collaboration with partners Kiepe Electric and Alstom, has been selected by Île-de-France Mobilités for the realization of this unique mobility project in Île-de-France," said Van Hool CEO Filip Van Hool. "The future of public transport is zero emission. This solution, a world first, fully meets the high expectations of the transport authority, the drivers and maintenance staff, and passengers, for quality public transport that is sustainable and economically responsible.”
The solution from the Van Hool – Kiepe Electric – Alstom consortium is intended for the T Zen 4 and T Zen 5 high service bus lines in the south of Paris, as well as a third line in option. It will offer passengers a higher level of space, comfort, silence, accessibility and speed.
Dr. Peter Radina, member of the Management Board of Knorr-Bremse Rail Vehicle Systems and responsible for Kiepe Electric GmbH in the Knorr-Bremse Group, says that “for this project, Île-de-France Mobilités has put its faith in our highly experienced consortium and innovative High-Power Charging (HPC) concept for buses. For Kiepe Electric, this successful bid is a milestone, and heralds our entry into the mass transit market for e-BRT lines.”
Alstom France President Jean-Baptiste Eyméoud added, “Alstom's teams in France are proud to contribute to the realisation of an innovative and sustainable mobility solution for Île-de-France Mobilités, alongside our partners, with our conductive ground-based static charging system, SRS. This solution will be a world first and will offer a high level of service with great ease of operation. It will also benefit from the experience of the Nice tramway, where SRS was deployed and put into service on 15 km and 34 trams.”
Buses meet sustainability criteria, offer high level of service
The 100 percent electric Exqui.City 24 vehicles built by Van Hool provide passenger comfort and ease of operation. The buses will be able to carry approximately 140 passengers each. Other features include space, lighting, air-conditioning, video surveillance, and real-time visual and audio passenger information. The vehicles are fully accessible to people with reduced mobility thanks to wide sliding doors and low floor, which will make it easier for passengers to get on and off the bus at the station and to move around inside the bus.
Operation is facilitated and optimized by fast vehicle charging thanks to Alstom's conductive ground-based static charging system interfaced with an on-board energy system from Kiepe Electric.
High-performance electric equipment
Kiepe Electric is supplying the traction system for two driven axles in each vehicle. The scope of the order also includes traction batteries, auxiliary power converters and cooling systems, as well as power distribution units (high-voltage distribution). In addition, the company is providing the onboard software for energy management and traction drive control. Other Knorr-Bremse Group components will also be installed, including screw-type compressors and brake resistors from Heine Resistors. Kiepe Electric will ensure a high level of operational reliability using a cloud-based data application that measures consumption, routing and performance parameters. This operating data will be collected by the company’s Artificial Intelligence-based Smart Fleet Management (SFM) system for subsequent transfer to the operating company’s base station via Kiepe Fleet Management (KFM).
A ground-based recharging system
Alstom is providing the conductive ground-based static charging system. It is an interoperable technology for electric transport, buses and trams of all brands and sizes. As a compact solution, SRS blends invisibly into the cityscape. SRS provides safe, automated and fast high-power charging at stops and line terminals. This solution is already in use on 15 kilometres of tramway tracks in Nice, where it allows automatic and fast in-station recharging with no additional constraints for operations and with ground-breaking availability. SRS is designed by Alstom in Vitrolles.
Alstom says its catenary-free systems are reliable and proven with more than 15 years of commercial service in France and internationally. For the T Zen 4 and T Zen 5 project, Alstom will engineer the charging systems, as well as supply the equipment, install, commission and provide warranty. The framework agreement also includes a service level agreement on reliability and availability of the bus and charging system.
The T Zen 4 and T Zen 5 bus lines
The T Zen 4 and T Zen 5 lines are express bus lines running on dedicated bus lanes. The T Zen 4 BRT line will cover the 14.8-kilometer distance between Viry-Chatillon and Corbeil-Essonnes. The new line will replace the existing 402 line, which is the busiest line in the Paris metropolitan area, transporting nearly 26,000 passengers every day. The T Zen 5 line is a new 9.5-kilometer bus route connecting Paris-13 with Choisy-le-Roi via Ivry-sur-Seine and Vitry-sur-Seine.
