▪ Kiepe Electric writes next chapter in North American e-mobility story
▪ Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (RTA) partners with Kiepe Electric to expand electric bus fleet to 45 vehicles
▪ Operator opts for future-proof In Motion Charging (IMC) concept
Kiepe Electric, a subsidiary of Knorr-Bremse, the global market leader for braking systems and a leading supplier of other rail and commercial vehicle subsystems, is to supply the traction systems for an additional 15 trolleybuses in Dayton, Ohio.
“For Kiepe Electric this order brings a further reinforcement of its leading role in electrical traction systems for environmentally friendly buses in the USA,” said Dr. Jürgen Wilder, Member of the Executive Board of Knorr-Bremse AG responsible for the Rail Vehicle Systems division, underlining the significance of the order. “With its eco-friendly mobility and transportation technologies, Knorr-Bremse is making yet another substantial contribution to eco-efficient mass transit solutions.”
The operator was quick to appreciate the benefits in terms of both ecology and economy: “The life cycle of the electric buses is longer and the operating costs are lower,” said RTA CEO Mark Donaghy, “apart from which they are quieter and better for the environment.”
Dayton: Electric buses have been part of the street scene since 1933
Kiepe Electric is fitting the buses with its future-oriented In Motion Charging (IMC) concept. With IMC, the bus charges its batteries on the fly from the overhead lines. On sections of route with no overhead lines it runs on battery power. “This technology greatly increases the operating radius of our electric buses. Operators can run them 24 hours a day without having to schedule any breaks to recharge the batteries,” says Dr. Heiko Asum, Managing Director of Kiepe Electric.
With this order, Knorr-Bremse and Kiepe Electric are writing the next chapter in the story of eco-friendly mass transit in Dayton: Dayton first introduced electric passenger transportation back in 1888, making it the city with the longest uninterrupted history of electric vehicle operation in the USA. The first electric buses took to the streets of Dayton in 1933 and have long since become an established part of the everyday street scene.
Final assembly of the buses takes place at the Kiepe Electric plant in Alpharetta (Georgia). This is also where the company manufactures the traction system components, helping it to comply with the high local content requirements of the US vehicle market. As in many other markets, in North America Kiepe Electric is an established player: In the meantime the company has developed and manufactured the traction systems for almost 800 electric buses here.
Knorr-Bremse is the global market leader for braking systems and a leading supplier of other safety-critical rail and commercial vehicle systems. Knorr-Bremse’s products make a decisive contribution to greater safety and energy efficiency on rail tracks and roads around the world. For more than 110 years the company has been the industry innovator, driving innovation in mobility and transportation technologies with an edge in connected system solutions. Knorr-Bremse is one of Germany’s most successful industrial companies and profits from the key global megatrends: urbanization, eco-efficiency, digitization and automated driving.
Approximately 29,000 employees (per June 30, 2018) at over 100 sites in more than 30 countries use their competence and motivation to satisfy customers worldwide with products and services. Localization is a central focus of Knorr-Bremse’s strategy. Knorr-Bremse delivers braking, entrance, control and auxiliary power supply systems, HVAC and driver assistance systems for rail vehicles, as well as braking, steering, powertrain and transmission control solutions, and driver assistance systems for commercial vehicles.
In 2017, Knorr-Bremse generated in both its divisions revenues of more than EUR 6.2 billion (IFRS). A comprehensive and growing aftermarket & services business with high entry barriers gives these revenues increasingly cyclically independent stability. The company benefits from a strong, entrepreneurial and experienced management. Technical excellence, reliability, passion and responsibility are deeply embedded in its corporate culture.
Knorr-Bremse subsidiary Kiepe Electric, based in Düsseldorf, Germany, is a globally active supplier of electrical systems to the leading rail vehicle and bus manufacturers. The company offers efficient solutions and ecologically sustainable concepts for low-emission public transportation with eco-friendly electrical equipment for light rail vehicles, metros and regional rail networks as well as for battery, trolley and In Motion Charging (IMC) buses.
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Head of Corporate Communications
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