Switzerland: Electric buses only charge 15 seconds

The disadvantages of electric buses such as time consuming charging, insufficient power to operate ... can be solved by the model being studied in Switzerland.

Electric vehicles are popular because it contributes significantly to reducing emissions of polluting the environment. The disadvantage of electric cars is that users need to charge before running, and charging stations are not popular with gas stations.

For electric bus systems, vehicles are connected to the overhead power transmission system to provide power to them. These lines will lose the beauty of the city and waste a lot of space, infrastructure as well as construction costs, maintenance. These inadequacies can be eliminated by the use of battery-powered bus models. But the question arises as to how to charge enough battery for a long day of operation.

The TOSA bus is parked at the charging station

In Geneva, Switzerland, scientists are testing the TOSA, an electric bus with a special charging method. The engine system on the vehicle is connected to a battery just above the head of the vehicle. When the bus stops at a certain station, it will be connected to the charging station via a robotic arm. The charging process takes place within 15 seconds, which can be completed as soon as passengers board the vehicle.

Each bus can accommodate 133 passengers. Rapid recharging is sufficient to power the bus to the next charging station, with a few charging stops at every stop. The goal of the TOSA project is to put the electric bus model into operation in the public transport system at the lowest cost. TOSA was built by ABB in Zurich, a company well known for its robotic, electrical and automation technology development, in collaboration with the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, a Swiss institute for technology research.

This model is still in the process of research and testing. All data such as battery power, location of charging stations and electricity costs are collected for calculation and research. It is expected that Geneva will be the first city to be selected to pilot this vehicle in 2017.

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