Researchers in Geneva, Switzerland have started a pilot project called TOSA (Trolleybus Optimisation Systeme Alimentation) to test a new charging method for electric buses called "flash charging."
Most electric buses are given energy through an overhead power line, according to CNET.
A battery pack is located on top of the TOSA bus. When the vehicle pulls into certain stations, it can connect to an electric bus dock through a robotic arm.
The buses used overhangs specifically designed for them to charge. The vehicles only take 15 seconds to charge each time, Smithsonian reported.
The overhang does not fill the battery up completely. However, the bus gets enough energy to get to its next stop.
Each bus is capable of holding 133 passengers, CNET reported.
The TOSA project was started by ABB Scheron, a company based in Zurich that is known for power and automation technologies, as well as robotics. ABB partnered with the Swiss Technology Institute Ecole polytechnique federale de Lausanne to build the TOSA buses. The scientists are looking to use the project to find the most efficient and cost-effective way to use electric buses for mass transportation.
The batteries in the TOSA buses have twice the energy of those found in electric cars, Phys.org reported.
The researchers had to use a special algorithm to test the buses with flash charging. They also considered factors such as the number of passengers, speed, altitude, recuperation of braking and weather conditions.
For the mathematical model, the researchers took the cost of batteries, the placement of recharging stations and rates of electricity into account when testing the buses, CNET reported.
Geneva will be the first city to use the TOSA buses. The city is expected to start using the buses in its regular service in 2017.
