USA / Germany – Kiepe Electric GmbH* of Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, a specialist in electric traction equipment has been contracted by U.S. public transport operator King County Metro in Seattle to upgrade the battery capacity of its electric trolleybus fleet. The USD 26 million contract will upgrade 170 New Flyer Xcelsior XT40 and XT60 trolleybuses originally designed to draw power from overhead lines. Subsequently, these buses rely on 26 kWh batteries to operate on short distances without the use of external power. Kiepe Electric will triple the battery capacity to around 80 kWh which translates into 11km of operation without overhead lines, extending the operational range and flexibility for the transport provider. Deliveries will commence in late 2024.

*In February this year, Knorr-Bremse AG announced that it had sold a majority stake in Kiepe Electric to Heramba GmbH (of Heramba Holdings Inc). Knorr-Bremse will retain 15% equity in the company and has committed to remaining a strategic partner.