Swiss electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer HESS has secured a contract to deliver 60 high-capacity EVs to Brisbane, Queensland— a major milestone for the city council’s landmark Australian-first transport project.
The announcement follows the recent extensive on-road testing of a customised version of the HESS lighTram 25.
HESS CEO Alex Naef said in a media statement that the lighTram 25 provides unique capabilities to the Australian transport sector, such as quietly, efficiently, and sustainably transporting large numbers of people while improving the overall passenger experience.
According to Naef, the city’s full order reaffirms the company’s belief that the combination of the lighTram 25 and flash charging technology is an attractive solution for public transport systems globally.
“This is a flexible transport system that is not reliant on rail infrastructure and can easily be adapted for different transport routes because of the vehicle’s manoeuvrability. Over the full lifetime of the vehicle, the lighTram 25 offers cities one of the most cost-effective solutions for improving public transport and reaching governments’ sustainability goals,” Naef said.
The development of the EV’s charging infrastructure, which will be a first of its kind in Australia, is well underway, according to the CEO.
“The flash charging system fully charges a metro in under six minutes. That’s exceptionally fast, but we’re mindful that we also needed to keep the batteries light and the vehicles in frequent operation,” Naef said.
The 24.5-metre bi-articulated EV came to Brisbane in April and was evaluated in terms of busway performance, manoeuvrability, speed, acceleration, braking, energy consumption, recharging, passenger accessibility, and the overall driver experience.
Peter Dale, country manager for HESS, said the order’s confirmation immediately kickstarts work on the remaining fleet, with the delivery of the metro fleet’s first batch expected in late 2023.
“Australian transport operators and authorities are already very interested in this new transport solution and it won’t be long before they can get on board a metro themselves,” Dale said.
