Electric trolleys are Metro’s original zero-emission fleet. Our 174 “trackless trolleys” are preparing to get a power boost that will increase their ability to travel farther off wire and prepare them for continued service to the region.
Kiepe Electric and Metro have reached a $26 million agreement for Kiepe to supply new, improved battery packs for our trolley fleet. Metro’s current fleet of 174 trolley buses went into service in 2015 through 2017. The fleet had off wire capabilities that were state of the art for the time, allowing buses to detour around incidents and construction for short distances.
It’s now time to replace the batteries that power the trolleys and to simultaneously take advantage of the stronger batteries now available. In addition to being selected to provide the new batteries, Kiepe Electric is also the manufacturer of the original propulsion systems for Metro’s trolley fleet.