Seattle's Trolleybus Fleet To Get New Supercharged Batteries

King County Metro’s fleet of electric trolleybuses is poised to get a big upgrade, via replacement batteries that will extend their off-wire capabilities to close to three times their current capacity. Following the successful installation of these more powerful batteries on four buses as a pilot program, Metro is set to roll out the upgrades to the entire fleet of 174 trolleybuses, which are all nearing a full decade in service.

The $26 million contract was announced by power systems manufacturer Kiepe, which noted that the new battery chargers come equipped with so-called “In Motion Charging” technology, or IMC. IMC allows buses to recharge their batteries while being driven through sections of a route that has overhead wires. With this capability, Metro will have more resilience with the trolley fleet, able to adapt to issues like emergency street closures that prompt reroutes on-the-fly.

“The IMC technology allows these electric buses to travel over seven miles between overhead wire connections, relying on space-saving batteries that charge during short sections of overhead line operation,” a release from Kiepe from early this month noted. “This extended range and efficiency will support King County Metro’s commitment to provide eco-friendly public transportation and the city’s broader environmental goals.”

Metro spokesperson Al Sanders provided more details to The Urbanist, including the fact that the batteries on the entire fleet were due to be replaced anyway, having been in place since the current fleet was phased in between 2015 and 2017.

https://www.theurbanist.org/2024/09/21/seattles-trolleybus-fleet-to-get-new-supercharged-batteries/