Siemens pioneers electrification of Italy’s public transport projects

Innovative space management approach in design will maximize the number of buses that can be charged in a single depot.

Siemens Electrification Italy Public Transport Projects Electric Vehicle

Siemens Smart Infrastructure has secured the order to set up the charging infrastructure for 10 Rampini E80 electric buses (e-buses) in Genoa, Italy. The buses will be used by AMT Genova (AMT), the city’s public transport operator. The Siemens charging infrastructure is scheduled to be commissioned by the summer of 2021. This project is one more step forward for AMT, which is committed to electrify the public transport system in Genoa.

Initially, Siemens will supply 10 innovative plug-in charging systems for AMT’s Cornigliano depot. Those will enable ebus recharging overnight or during other operational breaks planned by the operator. The space-saving design makes it possible to subsequently deploy up to 60 charging units in the bus depot for as many electric buses – a future-proof modular approach.

Based on the Siemens Sicharge UC 100 overnight plug-in charging systems, which are compliant with the latest international standards and have a charging capacity of up to 100 kilowatts (kWs), the depot will be able to charge the buses using power cables that can be pulled out from the top. That space-saving design concept maximizes the number of buses that can be charged in a single depot. Combined with Siemens smart charging software, all the charging operations will be intelligently optimized in order to minimize the overall energy consumption and peak loads of the depot.

Equipped with 200 kWh battery packs, the ten E80 electric buses by Rampini have a width of 2.2 metres and a capacity of 43 passengers. With these structural dimensions, they are the only e-buses in Europe that guarantee the highest levels of maneuverability in historic city centers.

Commenting on the plan, Marco Rastelli, Head of the Distribution Systems business unit at Siemens Italy, said, “This first public transport electrification project in Italy proves the potential of our flexible and compact solution, which can be adapted and integrated even in this small historic facility. We are proud to offer our technology to make Genoa’s urban mobility even more efficient and sustainable.”

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