Kiepe Electric to supply 185 systems for San Francisco

The San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency (SFMTA) have placed an order for 185 new Flyer XT40 buses equipped with In Motion Charging technology from Kiepe Electric.

This order further expands San Francisco’s fleet of zero emission transit buses, with the agency having recently also procured 93 articulated Xcelsior XT60 electric buses.

Equipped with In Motion Charging (IMC) technology, trolley buses cover sections of route without overhead lines in battery-powered mode, with the batteries then being recharged when the vehicle is back under overhead lines.

“We desperately need the new XT40 electric trolley buses to improve the ride for passengers and the impacts on our environment. These new buses will serve passengers on the city’s hilliest and busiest routes. We can’t have them on our roads soon enough,” said SFMTA Board President London Breed. 

The contract concludes one of the largest zero emission bus procurement in North America to date. SFMTA’s trolley routes carry 200,000 riders a day through some of the city’s most dense neighbourhoods. SFMTA operates these IMC buses on grades of over 22%, some of the steepest zero emission bus routes in the world.

“By investing in new, high-performing, quiet and green electric trolley vehicles, we are able to provide the people of San Francisco with better options for moving around the city,” commented Ed Reiskin, SFMTA Director of Transportation.

Only recently, San Francisco placed their first option of 33 additional articulated XT60 IMC buses that are currently in production. To date, 452 Kiepe Electric IMC bus systems have been ordered by San Francisco and Seattle. Worldwide the battery-trolley combination has been ordered for 844 IMC buses already; 580 have been delivered and are in revenue service. Thus, Kiepe Electric is an established international supplier of innovative electric transit bus systems.