Bombardier Transportation presents a new battery-operated train
13 September 2018
Bombardier Transportation has introduced a new battery-operated train: the BOMBARDIER TALENT 3 train. The new battery-operated train is the first of its kind to enter passenger operation in Europe in more than 60 years.
It does not generate any exhaust and sets the standards for smart mobility with peak values of 90 percent in the areas of efficiency and recyclability. It is also around 50% quieter than modern diesel trains. According to a comparative study by the Technical University of Dresden, the battery-operated train clearly has an edge with respect to the total costs across the service life of 30 years.
The range of the train will increase proportionally with the continuous capacity increases due to new battery developments. The current prototype is equipped with four BOMBARDIER MITRAC traction batteries (earlier post) and can travel routes of around 40 kilometers. In 2019, the next generation of battery-operated trains will be able to cover distances of up to 100 kilometers on non-electrified railways.
In 2019, Deutsche Bahn (DB) will start a twelve-month trial run with passengers with the current prototype in the Alb-Lake Constance region.
The German government subsidized the development of the battery-operated train with €4 million in the framework of an innovation program for electromobility. The project partners include the DB Regio subsidiary DB ZugBusRegionalverkehr Alb-Bodensee (regional transport for the Lake Constance region), Nahverkehrsgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg (Baden-Wuerttemberg Regional Transport Company) and the Nationale Organisation Wasserstoff- und Brennstoffzellentechnologie (National Organization for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology) and the Technical University of Berlin.
Holy cow!
The same battery capacity as a Tesla P100!...
They are really pulling all the stops on this battery initiative
/sarcasm
On the positive side, it should be really trivial to fit 10 times as much battery capacity in a train (with a floor height of typically >1 m) and achieve 400 km / 250 mile range, which would be suitable for many locations. Less batteries can be used with shorter distances or possibility for opportunity charging. Possibly add a 150 hp limp-home diesel for emergencies (although I dread that this system will markedly increase complexity, not least wrt licensing and maintenance.
Posted by: Thomas Pedersen | 13 September 2018 at 04:52 AM
Who'd have thunk it?
Certainly technology leaders with a track record.
Posted by: Arnold | 13 September 2018 at 05:27 AM
Forget floor height. Just pull a car loaded with batteries. Arrive at destination and switch to a car with fresh batteries. All charging is done offline.
Posted by: Paroway | 13 September 2018 at 02:30 PM
This is for track sections that don't have over head wires, good idea.
Posted by: SJC | 13 September 2018 at 04:28 PM
Near future, long lasting, higher performance SS batteries will make battery operated trains a reality. Avoiding the high cost of overhead cables will offset some of the batteries cost.
Very high speed long range passenger trains may still need cables and/or on board FCs to recharge the batteries.
Posted by: HarveyD | 14 September 2018 at 08:46 AM