The prototype of the world’s longest city bus is being tested in the Dresden’s outskirts. Giant vehicle consists of three sections, has a width in record thirty meters and can carry two hundred fifty-six passengers at a time. The unique bus has been called Autotram (Autotram Extra Grand), because it combines the best features of two types of urban transport. It has flexibility and low infrastructure costs of a conventional bus, at the same time it shares with trams their high transport capacity and eco-friendliness. Latest was achieved due the hybrid power unit, by which bus can drive eight meters only charging its batteries.
The bus was developed in Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems as a part of the state research program initiated by German government, aimed at improving the cities' transport infrastructure. As the Institute’s representatives say the development of Autotram Extra Grand wasn’t a problem from a constructive point of view, the real challenge was to obtain acceptable flexibility from 30-meters long bus. Problem was successfully solved by specially designed software which ensures that the rear sections of the bus perfectly follow the front axle.
As expected, Autotram Extra Grand will appear at city roads in October of this year.
