Articulated rechargeable electric buses arrive on the STIB network

The new 100% electric buses of Brussels transport company STIB will now be able to be recharged on route, via a charging system at key points.

Thanks to this, vehicles will therefore no longer have to return to the depot, announced STIB. To use the platforms busses require an articulated charging arm. The first articulated electric buses will arrive on the STIB network on 29 April. These vehicles will initially run exclusively on line 64.

The "opportunity charging" technology means that in addition to being charged at the depot outside operating hours, busses can be recharged directly on the network, thanks to recharging poles installed at the two terminals of the line. "A first in Belgium," exclaimed the STIB.

The reloading poles will be installed at the Porte de Namur terminal and the entrance to the Haren depot. These poles allow the buses to be recharged in six minutes at best.

Ze kunnen niet alleen 's nachts opladen in de stelplaats, maar dankzij een stroomafnemer ook aan hun eindpunt, in amper 6 minuten. #opportunitycharging pic.twitter.com/D3EEYT4yql

— STIB-MIVB (@STIBMIVB) April 26, 2019

The Brussels Times