After doing a little Tour de Suisse and a few stops around Lucerne or Bern, a new e-bus is being tested in Zug since Wedn. 17 July.
The new «lighTram 19OPP» from the company Hess measures 18m long and will do its first trial on Line 1 between Bahnhofplatz in Zug to Oberägeri Station. It will be powered by a 1,600 kilogram battery which will cover not only the energy requirements for the drive itself, but also for the heating and cooling. Under winter conditions the battery is estimated to last 60km, which means the bus will have to be frequently charged.
The plan to change the current bus fleet with electro-driven one has been an intrinsic part of the city's mobility strategy for 2020-2024, and the first busses should run the streets already by Fall 2019. Until the fleet is entirely renewed, they will complement the Volvo Hybrid version that has now been running for a while.
Around hundred offers have been reviewed by the ZVB but only projects from Hess, Mercedes and MAN have been retained for live tests on the streets; however the price has been the most important factor to take the decision in favour of Hess (before criteria such as the benefits to customers or environmental concerns). With a price close to half a million Swiss Francs per unit, I understand this is worth a few tests and internal discussions.
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