New 24m Exqui.City buses chosen by ÎIe-de-France Mobilités
The Île-de-France region will see a world première of new Exqui.City 24m-long, bi-articulated Van Hool electric buses. The buses will have a Kiepe Electric drive system and be charged by Alstom’s conductive ground-based static charging system. The framework contract with ÎIe-de-France Mobilités includes a minimum of 56 vehicles.
The new vehicles will operate on the T Zen 4 and T Zen 5 bus lines in the south of Paris, with an option of a third line.
Filip Van Hool, CEO, Van Hool, says: “We are happy and proud that Van Hool, in close collaboration with partners Kiepe Electric and Alstom, has been selected by Île-de-France Mobilités for the realisation of this unique mobility project in Île-de-France. This solution, a world first, fully meets the high expectations of the transport authority, the drivers and maintenance staff, and passengers, for quality public transport that is sustainable and economically responsible.”
The 24m buses will be able to carry approximately 140 passengers and have wide sliding doors and a low floor to make it easier for passengers to get on and off the bus and to move around inside the bus.
Kiepe Electric is supplying the traction system for two driven axles in each vehicle, including traction batteries, auxiliary power converters and cooling systems, as well as high-voltage power distribution units. In addition, the company is providing the onboard software for energy management and traction drive control.
Alstom is providing the SRS charging system which is already in use on 15km of tramway tracks in Nice, where it allows automatic and fast in-station recharging.