112 battery trolleybuses for Genoa’s new BRT system

The Italian operator AMT Genova (Azienda Mobilità e Trasporti SpA) haconfirmed the purchase of 112 articulated Solaris Trollino 18 trolleybuses, one of the largest single orders for articulated trolleybuses to date for the manufacturer. The contract’s value exceeds €100 million.

This is one of the largest single orders for articulated trolleybuses that the Polish manufacturer has ever received and one of the largest orders for trolleybuses in Western Europe for a long time. The order is worth over EUR 100 million. The electrical equipment for the 112 new vehicles comes from the Czech manufacturer Škoda Transportation, which is responsible for the installation and the extensive test programme for the 18-metre vehicles.

In addition to traditional electric propulsion, the trolleybuses for Genoa will also be equipped with traction batteries, allowing the vehicles to cover a considerable distance without the need to connect to overhead traction system. The energy in the batteries will be topped up both during the operation and at the depot and drawn from the catenary while driving by means of In-Motion-Charging (IMC) technology.

Genoa’s public transport planning is worth noting. The city is currently taking decisive steps to improve its public transport infrastructure. This is reflected in the latest order for Solaris trolleybuses and investment in the construction of a new trolleybus line. These initiatives are part of a broader plan by the Italian carrier, envisioning a transition to a fully electric urban fleet by 2025. The introduction of four full-scale, electric BRT lines has been approved and funded in large part by the central government. Three of these four new BRT lines (Levante, Centro und Ponente) will be partly equipped with trolleybus overhead and operated by the new 112 Solaris Trollino 18. Genoa currently has one trolleybus service – the 7 km long line 30 which is operated by 17 older Van Hool/Kiepe articulated trolleybuses. Trolleybuses service the city since 1997; a previous system opened in 1938, but had been gradually closed down by 1973.

The collaboration between Solaris and the operator AMT Genoa dates back to 2013. Particularly noteworthy was a recent order for 30 electric buses, delivered in 2022. After the completion of the latest contract for 112 articulated Trollino 18, Genoa will become one of the major users of Solaris trolleybuses. Electrical equipment from Škoda Transportation is used in numerous trolleybus systems worldwide.