14.02.2007 14:58

AutoTram

 

Press release

Markt und Mittelstand 12/2006

 

New high-capacity vehicle combines the advantages of buses and trams.

 

This tram does not need an overhead contact line nor rails. As an articulated tram it rolls on rubber wheels through the streets. AutoTram is the name the developers at HÜBNER GmbH in Kassel gave their new high-capacity vehicle which they designed together with the scientists of the Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems IVI.

The innovative vehicle offers the transport capacity of a tram, yet it is as flexible as a bus. Depending on the number of passengers, it can be used modularly either as a solo bus or as a high-capacity vehicle for single or bi-directional traffic. On routes with a low number of passengers, the vehicle simply is decoupled and used alone. If many passengers are to be expected, e.g. for big events, a module can be added in the middle. This changes the AutoTram into a 36 meter-long asphalt tram. In order to navigate the long vehicle through narrow streets and around corners, the driver is supported by an active multiple-axle steering with assisted guidance as well as by a video and GPS-based system. The vehicle’s drive system proves to be a cross-breed between bus and tram as well. The developers equipped it with hybrid technology. A diesel engine and a flywheel energy accumulator provide the driving force. The accumulator takes in the brake energy and transforms it into electricity. With this, the vehicle is able to drive up to two kilometers without noise or emissions. This system is said to be 30 to 50 percent more cost efficient than classic tram systems.