The Dnipro trolleybus in Mykolaiv will be able to run without overhead wires during power outages
The testing has already been completed, but the documents for launch are still being prepared
Trolleybus “Dnipro” in Mykolaiv has been upgraded to operate without overhead wires: it can now travel 20 km on battery power. This will allow the vehicle to be used in the event of possible power outages.
The conversion was carried out in-house by Mykolaivelektrotrans Municipal Enterprise. Specialists have completed the necessary tests and are now preparing the documents required to put the trolleybus into service.
Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych believes that upgrading the existing fleet is a way to ensure more reliable public transport service during possible power cuts.
Following the conversion, “Dnipro” became the 42nd vehicle with autonomous operation in the enterprise’s fleet. Mykolaivelektrotrans Municipal Enterprise Director Yurii Smetana noted that the city is not only acquiring new vehicles but also expanding the capabilities of the ones it already has.
The fleet of vehicles with autonomous operation has previously been expanded through both purchases and the restoration of damaged vehicles:
- Mykolaiv purchased 40 PTS trolleybuses capable of autonomous operation. The purchase was made under an agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and with support from the government of Denmark.
- In 2024, the enterprise restored trolleybus No. 3002, which had been damaged in shelling. It was also fitted with an autonomous-operation system during the restoration.
To keep electric public transport running during power outages, generators have been installed at various facilities operated by the enterprise. According to the head of Mykolaivelektrotrans, they make it possible to charge 23 trolleybuses at the same time.
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