The city of Hamburg, Germany has a plan to electrify its public transport system: starting in 2020 it will acquire only emission-free buses. The city’s public transit company, the Hamburger Hochbahn, has opened a special bus route, Innovation Route 109, on which it will run comparative tests of modern drive technologies under everyday conditions.

The new Volvo 7900 Electric Hybrid began scheduled operation on the Innovation Route this week. Charging takes place at each end stop, using a pantograph that is integrated with the charging station. The driver presses a button to lower the pantograph to a pair of charging bars on the roof of the bus. The charging process takes about six minutes.

The Volvo 7900 Electric Hybrid bus has a Euro 6 diesel engine, a 150 kW electric motor, and an electric range of seven kilometers. Serial production is scheduled to begin in early 2016. 

The Hamburgers also plan to test Volvo’s diesel hybrid buses in both 18 m articulated and 12 m versions, as well as battery fuel cell buses of various types, on the Innovation Route. Legacy diesel buses will also be operating on the route to serve as reference vehicles.

“For us, the electric hybrid bus represents the current peak of our successful cooperation with Hamburger Hochbahn AG,” said Olof Persson, CEO of the Volvo Group. “Together, we have reached our shared goal, making public transport more efficient, quieter and more sustainable. We will continue our cooperation here in Hamburg with sustainable, low-noise vehicles.”

“The use of electric buses in the German public transport system is constantly developing,” said Martin Schmitz, Technology Manager of the Association of German Transport Companies. “Nationwide, there are now about 20 projects and further will be added in the months to come.”

Source: Volvo via Green Car Congress