Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems

The AutoTram^® Extra Grand demonstrates a future-oriented technology for public transport. As an intermediate public transport vehicle, it combines features of conventional buses (e.g. high flexibility, low infrastructure costs and moderate life cycle costs) with the advantages of trams like high transport capacity, driving comfort and the possibility of partial emission-free operation.

The multi-unit vehicle with rubber tires is more than 30 meters long and has a capacity of 256 passengers. It has been developed and constructed within the research program »Innovative Regionale Wachstumskerne«, which was initiated by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

The AutoTram^® technology is based on a vehicle concept developed by the Fraunhofer IVI, combining the advantages of rail and road-bound transport systems. So far, the concept had only been used for research purposes, but is now applied in practice. The innovative public transport vehicle has been developed in joint research with the Institute of Electrical Power Engineering, TU Dresden, and Wittur Electric Drive GmbH, who were in charge of developing the high efficient drive engines, as well as the Dresden-based M&P motion, control and power electronics GmbH, who contributed power electronics, the vehicle computer and super capacitors. The Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe (DVB) AG were responsible for consulting in transportation and traffic sciences. The type approval was carried out by the DEKRA and the AutoTram^® Extra Grand was constructed by bus manufacturer Göppel Bus GmbH in Thüringen.

Further information:

• www.ivi.fraunhofer.de