The vehicles included in this tender are the result of the joint efforts of Yutong and Ikarus, specifically designed to meet the needs of Budapest’s public transport. A significant part of the manufacturing process will take place in Hungary, involving local suppliers and creating high added value.
The multi-stage public procurement process of the Budapest Transport Company (BKK) has concluded, with the joint bid of Ikarus and Yutong declared the winner for the supply of 160 trolleybuses equipped with autonomous driving capability. The consortium offered the most favorable price–value ratio and guaranteed an additional 36-month warranty for the vehicles. The result of the procurement will become final after the contract moratorium ends on September 5. The basic order covers 40 vehicles – 16 solo and 24 articulated – meaning that soon, 40 brand-new, modern electric Ikarus vehicles will be operating on the streets of Budapest.
Budapest aims to more than double its current trolleybus network of approximately 155 kilometers by 2030. The new Ikarus–Yutong vehicles will play a key role in this development, offering a modern and cost-effective solution for the city’s public transport by combining the electric bus platform with overhead line technology.
How will the autonomous bus cope when the poles come off the wires?
Or does that need a special video analytics AI and mechanisation to allow automatic re-connection? (less of an issue if a pantograph type connection is used)
@Miles T
Technology would appear to be able to automate the poles’ reconnection, although cameras & sensors might have trouble picking out the wires if covered with ice, or if the sun is right behind them.
Re sun: I would think that there would be multiple cameras and at least one of them wouldn’t be too affected by sun glare or whatnot.
Btw sorry if I’m Captain Obvious here, but Budapest is kind of the “test bed” for trolley buses. If a bus works in Budapest with their extensive and complicated network, that trolley bus would likely work everywhere.
AFAIK even back in the days of the cold war some “western” manufacturers (IIRC Hitachi (Japan)) did testing of their trolley buses in Budapest even though Budapest itself wasn’t planning on buying anything from Hitachi.
In Lyon there are what you might think of as “inverted troughs” above the overhead wires which guide the trolley poles back onto the wires if, for any reason, they dewire. The buses seem to have sufficient battery power to get to the next rewiring station if the need arises. The whole operation is controlled by the driver from within the cab.
In london each trolleybus had a long bamboo pole with a hook on the end carried in a tube under the body of the bus. It was the conductor’s responsibility to guide the poles back onto the wires. Not an easy job – I’ve tried it!