HESS wins trolleybus tender for Lausanne

The Swiss bus manufacturer HESS wins the international tender and the framework con-tract for the renewal of the trolleybus fleet in Lausanne (Switzerland). Public transport in the Lausanne region (tl) operates one of the largest trolleybus fleets in Europe.

The delivery comprises 12 «lighTram® 25 DC» vehicles, each 24.7 m long and with a capacity of up to 220 passengers, with a total value of around CHF 16.5 million. For tl, this is a new step in the implementation of high-level service bus projects (BHNS), which will make passenger transport in the Lausanne region more efficient. The 12 vehicles are equipped with dynamic charging technology, which enables partial overhead line charging. The contract also includes an option for the supply of articulated buses of the type «lighTram® 19 DC» with a length of 18.7m.

With their attractive design, spacious standing areas and ergonomic driver’s area, the vehicles bring new dimensions to the field of tire-based passenger transport. The innovative energy management allows the vehicles to be lighter. As a result, more passengers can be transported than with conventional trolleybuses. In addition, they consume less energy than conventional trolleybuses, which is fully in line with the energy strategy of the Swiss Confederation and the European Union.

With their energy management, HESS vehicles reduce consumption peaks in the power grid and thus the costs for transport companies. In addition, they offer greater flexibility, e.g. for temporary bypasses of construction sites. They also enable the development of public transport in agglomerations for which the construction of overhead lines would not be economically viable, or in protected urban areas where overhead lines are undesirable.

What started in 1940 with the construction of simple overhead line buses has evolved into highly complex e-bus systems.