In the city of Solingen, they are playing a key role in the electrification of the entire bus fleet: battery trolleybuses with In Motion Charging technology from Kiepe Electric, a subsidiary of Knorr-Bremse, the global market leader for braking and other systems for rail and commercial vehicles. A consortium between Kiepe Electric and Solaris, one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of buses and trolleybuses, will supply 16 emission-free Solaris Trollino 12-metre trolleybuses with IMC technology to Solingen’s public transport authority from the end of 2021. They will replace diesel-powered buses and use battery power to cover extensive route sections without overhead wires.

Four electric articulated buses with IMC500 equipment have already been in service in Solingen since 2018. Known as BOBs (battery overhead wire buses) in Solingen, they currently operate on 12 km of overhead wire sections, which represents 75% of the total route. Kiepe Electric uses identical assemblies for the existing BOBs and the new ones. This allows the operator to save maintenance and repair costs and to keep its spare parts stock to a minimum.

Aside from this new order, Kiepe Electric and Solaris are in the process of supplying 16 IMC500 articulated buses (Solaris Trollino 18 trolleybuses) to Stadtwerke Solingen under a contract option. The In Motion Charging vehicles particularly stand out in terms of versatility, as lines previously operated with diesel buses can be converted to fully electric operation. The BOBs charge while operating on routes with overhead wires. But on sections without overhead wires, they offer the flexibility to continue the journey in battery mode. Depending on the battery capacity and route layout, IMC buses can cover up to 30 kilometers without charging.