The Estonian-founded company, Skeleton Technologies, is to supply ultracapacitor systems to Škoda Electric for 114 trams that will be used in the towns of Mannheim, Heidelberg and Ludwigshafen in Germany.
The ultracapacitor system recuperates the braking energy of the trams, made by the Czech manufacturer, Škoda, and uses it for re-acceleration, thus saving energy and decreasing costs. “Ultracapacitors are ideal for this application due to their high efficiency, reliability and ability to recharge in seconds,” Skeleton Technology said in a statement.
Skeleton was founded by the Estonian entrepreneurs, Taavi Madiberk and Oliver Ahlberg, as a startup in 2009 and now has manufacturing facilities in Estonia and Germany. The company claims its ultracapacitors deliver twice the energy density and four times the power density offered by other manufacturers. Its clients range from automotive firms and industrial equipment manufacturers to truck fleet operators and aerospace contractors.
“Škoda has an excellent track record in innovative and energy-efficient trams, and ultracapacitors are a perfect fit for the locomotive industry due to their ability to capture braking energy in seconds, their high efficiency, and their long lifetime,” Skeleton added in the statement.
Cover: A Škoda tram.
