Bombardier has been awarded €4 million by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport through its innovation initiative to advance plans for a battery-powered EMU.
The announcement was made by Germany’s Transport Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, at InnoTrans today (September 20).
Bombardier is working with the Technical University of Berlin, Südwestdeutsche Verkehrs-AG and Nahverkehrsgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg to develop a battery-powered Talent 3 train for use on non-electrified routes.
Bombardier has already experimented with a battery-powered EMU in the UK. The company successfully adapted an Electrostar train to run on battery power, renaming it the Independently Powered Electric Multiple-Unit (IPEMU).
German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt said: “Diesel trains currently service lines where catenaries are either uneconomical or not yet in place – particularly on secondary lines.
“Our investments will help develop a zero-emission, energy-efficient and cost-effective alternative to diesel trains. Deploying fuel cell and battery technology for rail transportation will usher in a new era for non-electrified routes.”