China's first home-made supercapacitor tram unveiled

China's first independently designed supercapacitor tram rolled off the production line in CentralChina's Hunan province, Aug 1, 2016. [Xinhua]

CHANGSHA - China's first independently designed supercapacitor tram rolled off theproduction line in Central China's Hunan province Monday.

The tram uses supercapacitor energy storage to operate without external wires and can befully charged during a 30-second stop and run for 3 to 5 kilometers, according to Engineer-in-Chief Suo Jianguo with Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co under CRRC Corporation Ltd, thecountry's largest rolling-stock maker.

The tram can carry up to 380 passengers and travel at 70 kilometers per hour. It also uses alow-floor design, making boarding easy for children, pregnant women and the elderly.

"This is the first time all the technology, even the spare parts, are independently provided byChina," according to Suo. The tram runs on clean energy and can reuse 85 percent of theenergy regenerated from braking.

Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co, based in Zhuzhou, Hunan province, developed the first lightrail train using supercapacitor energy storage technology in August 2012.

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