By the end of 2025, 94 Rampini electric midibuses will be running in Genoa. In fact, the 49 electric buses currently in circulation will be joined by another 45 units of the new Eltron type, which will strengthen Genoa’s public transport and make it even more sustainable: this is bound to be the largest Rampini fleet in Europe (the manufacturer is active in seven countries).

Announcing this important agreement today during Genoa Smart Week initiative was Caterina Rampini, Rampini’s Vice-President and Managing Director.

All Rampini buses in service in Genoa are about eight metres long, only 2.2 metres wide and serve both urban and suburban areas such as the Rapallo – Santa Margherita – Portofino route. The latest e-bus delivered to AMT is the Rampini Eltron model, the only eight-metre electric ‘made in Italy’, supplied in a three-door version and capable of carrying up to 48 passengers.

Power is provided by a 218 kW electric motor ‘feeded’ by 280 kWh.

The Eltron represents the evolution of the E80 model. The Rampini Eltron has more than 40 per cent more installed energy than the previous version from just five years ago, which has enabled a further increase in range without compromising its load capacity in terms of the number of passengers carried. The new batteries also ensure lower specific consumption in the order of 25%, a figure certified by E-SORT 1 (Standardised On-Road Test cycles). It features the latest generation of on-board electronics as well as MirrorCams.

Rampini’s role in depot conversion

The work on the Mangini depot, which began in February 2019 and was completed in September of the same year, saw Rampini play a leading role in the construction of the new transformation cabin, two new transformers that increased the available power from 0.2 MW to 1 MW, and the entire power distribution system.

Further interventions by AMT Genoa have brought the current power of the depot to 2 MW, with provision to reach 3 MW so as to be able to meet the future charging power needs of up to 60 e-buses for the entire depot.

Charging infrastructure has also been built for a total of 55 electric buses in Cornigliano depot, adopting an innovative ‘space-saving’ approach of the ground areas, exploiting special racks (an overhead metal structure with a DC power supply cable-carrying function with a length of up to 200 m) positioned at a height of about 6 metres. The total power of the depot, already currently installed, is 6 MW.

“Our company has a long-standing collaboration with AMT Genoa, which began in 2014 and today has 49 Rampini e-buses in service, which will become more than 90 in the near future,” said Caterina Rampini, “At the same time as the first two deliveries of electric buses, we have also converted two depots in Genoa, Mangini and Cornigliano, within two integrated projects to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the system as a whole, which represent the boundary conditions necessary to achieve the zero-emission goal: a goal that will make Genoa a national model of sustainability and demonstrate our ability to offer a totally zero-emission mobility system. The charging technology, initially planned only for our e-buses, today, also through expansions carried out directly by AMT, power the entire fleet of electric buses of different sizes and from different suppliers. With AMT Genoa we share the concepts that indicate sustainability as the only condition for development and innovation as the engine for growth; being their industrial partner is a source of pride for us”.

Highlights

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