Saint-Etienne Métropole votes for trolleybuses with In Motion Charging

by Jean-Philippe Pastre

In July the 9th, Saint-Etienne Métropole voted for the In Motion Charging option for the STAS urban network. Saint-Etienne Métropole is one of the very rare cities in France still using trolleybuses in daily operations. A report, written with the Systra engeenering office and the STAS, conclude that the IMC would be the fastest a easyest way to fulfill the “Loi de Transition énergétique pour la croissance verte” for the Saint-Etienne urban network.

Trolleybus IMC as alternative to battery bus

With such option, Saint-Etienne Métropole will showcase an alternative to the “conventional” battery buses. This resolution is the starting point for the tenders scheduled in 2019, for both the infrastructure (power stations, wires) and the vehicles. This decision is also seen as a way to promote a European alternative to the Chinese battery buses (HERE an insight on “will Chinese brands dominate commercial vehicle electrification?): Hess, Iveco Bus -with Skoda Electric-, Solaris Bus & Coach and Van Hool might be able to compete in such tender.