Kiepe Electric is key partner in electrification of bus fleets in Milan and Modena

Kiepe Electric, a subsidiary of Knorr-Bremse AG, the global market leader for braking systems and a leading supplier of other subsystems for rail and commercial vehicles, is winning over Italian customers with clean solutions optimized for urban infrastructures. Mass transit authorities in Milan and Modena rely on Kiepe Electric traction systems to power their new Solaris IMC® buses.

In Milan, the first buses are already being delivered. “Together with our partner, bus manufacturer Solaris, we’re delighted to be able to help the cities of Milan and Modena with the electrification of their urban transit systems once again,” comments Dr. Jürgen Wilder, Member of the Executive Board of Knorr-Bremse AG responsible for the Rail Vehicle Systems division. For him, this is all part of a broader vision: “Electric mobility is the future. Demand for low-emission drives – for the mass transit market in particular – is steadily growing. With decades of experience behind us, we’re constantly developing and refining our e-mobility solutions, and adapting them to specific circumstances and needs.” Kiepe Electric has been embedded in the Italian market for many years, especially in Milan. IMC® buses equipped with Kiepe systems have been working for the city’s mass transit operator ATM (Azienda Trasporti Milanesi) since 1997.

The new vehicles from specialist manufacturer Solaris Bus & Coach S.A. will replace the trolleybus fleet that has been operating in Milan since the 1980s. By 2030, almost the entire ATM bus fleet will be electrified. “This latest order – plus an option to purchase another 50 traction systems – means that in the future, almost 100 percent of the city’s trolleybus fleet will run on Kiepe Electric systems technology,” confirms Dr. Heiko Asum, Managing Director of Kiepe Electric.

For Milan’s fleet upgrade, Kiepe Electric is supplying a full range of electrical equipment consisting of traction power converters, motors, high-performance 45 kWh lithium titanate oxide traction batteries, and auxiliary systems. “The focus is on our pioneering In-Motion Charging concept,” explains Dr. Asum. “While the bus is in motion, the system transfers up to 500 kW of energy from the overhead line to the modular traction battery. Then on sections of road without overhead contact lines, the vehicle can be driven like a battery-powered bus.” The Milan buses each have a range of up to 24 kilometers (15 miles) – with no need to spend long periods of time recharging at each end of the bus route. Their smart energy management systems also support the catenary network via the high-performance battery in each bus.

Modena: IMC® results in removal of overhead lines around the cathedral
Modena’s eight IMC®-equipped Solaris Trollino 12 buses clearly highlight the benefits of the IMC® system for urban environments. All three of Modena’s trolleybus lines run past the Romanesque cathedral of San Geminiano. Thanks to the new technology, the university city’s local mass transit authority (SETA) will now be able to dismantle most of the overhead lines around the cathedral and in the historic city center. The zero-emission IMC® buses will also replace many of the city’s diesel buses, thus helping to improve Modena’s air quality.

The electrical systems installed in the new buses include Kiepe Electric’s newly developed standardized roof-mounted equipment housing (DGG) for 12-meter, 18-meter and 24-meter buses. The latest generation of traction equipment – especially the on-board auxiliary power converters – means that installations and bus designs can be much more compact.