The "Artic Whisper" has recently been equipped with a fast recharging system for the batteries pioneered by Opbrid SL. The project-partners Hybricon AB, Opbrid SL, Umeå Energi AB and the Umeå City Corporation expect it to operate only on the energy stored in its roof-mounted Lithium-ion batteries. The unrivaled energy efficiency of the e-Traction^® System is the enabling technology to viably operate on batteries only on most of the common city-bus routes whereby recharging will occur between 5 to 10 minutes at one or both ends of each route (read press release). The currently installed diesel generator could thus become superfluous in many close range e-Traction^® System equipped automotive applications.

August 2010 - First test drive of e-Traction powered Mercedes G-class Jeep.

This company owned vehicle was donated by the Dutch Army in 2003 to study the feasibility of a conversion with the e-Traction^® System, including two TheWheel™ SM500/1AL units placed on the rear axle.

June 17^th 2010 - introduction of the e-Busz.

The first of two (brand new) VDL Bus & Coach Citea CLF buses of RET, the public transit company of Rotterdam,  converted to the Whisper III standard with the 3G version of the e-Traction^® System, developed with funding and Intellectual Property licenses provided by Freerider Ltd., by e-Traction Europe B.V., a wholly-owned subsidiary of e-Traction Worldwide S.C.A.,  - was delivered to the public transit company of the city of Rotterdam (NL), for extensive trials in scheduled service shortly.

May 16^th 2010 - Debut of the HyMove bus - the first fuel-cell powered bus equipped with the e-Traction^® System.

The HyMove bus, developed for the Stichting Waterstof Onderneming Gelderland, has made its first public appearance at the 18th World Hydrogen Energy Conference 2010, recently held in Essen (Germany) from May 16^th through the 21^st. It resembles the fourth adaptation of the company owned Whisper 2 bus - now equipped with a 3G version of the e-Traction^® System using a NedStack fuel-cell rather than a diesel generator as its energy source .

September 24^th 2009 - e-Traction agrees to supply technical support and components for conversion of 2,000 Korean buses.

The conversion to the Whisper^® III standard of two buses being supplied by JS Engineering, a South Korean government sponsored company, with the e-Traction^® System, developed with funding and Intellectual Property licenses provided by Freerider Ltd. is scheduled for completion later this year by e-Traction's Dutch R&D facility e-Traction Europe B.V., a wholly-owned subsidiary of e-Traction Worldwide S.C.A. Early 2010, three additional buses will be converted in South Korea by JS Engineering. Assuming the performance expectations are being met by these five pre-production buses; the annual conversion of about 500 buses will commence later in 2010, utilizing key components and technical assistance provided by e-Traction, with support of its long-term supplier Ziehl-Abegg. This bus-conversion project forms an important part of a Green Growth initiative announced by the President of the Republic of South Korea during his address on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of its founding. In his address the President indicated that his government will be allocating US$ 84.5 billion (2% of GNP) in support of his vision of establishing a sustainable low carbon society.

The city-counsel of Arnhem (NL) has allocated €440,000 to the Stichting Waterstof Onderneming Gelderland for exploring the feasibility of a Whisper III standard bus utilizing a NedStack fuel-cell for energy generation as part of its e-Traction^® System, developed with funding and Intellectual Property licenses provided by Freerider Ltd., by e-Traction Europe B.V., a wholly-owned subsidiary of e-Traction Worldwide S.C.A.. The project envisions the bus' introduction on line 20 in Arnhem in 2010. (see Dutch newspaper article about this "Made in Gelderland" initiative)

The first of five (used) Volvo B7L-Carrus buses of the public transit concession holder Veolia - converted to the Whisper III standard with the  e-Traction^® System, developed with funding and Intellectual Property licenses provided by Freerider Ltd., by e-Traction Europe B.V., a wholly-owned subsidiary of e-Traction Worldwide S.C.A.,  - was handed over today in the town of Apeldoorn (NL), where it has shortly thereafter entered service. (see Dutch newspaper article)

RET, the concession holder for urban transport in Rotterdam (NL), has commissioned the conversion of two brand new VDL Bus & Coach Citeas Low Floor buses to the Whisper III standard with e-Traction^® System, developed with funding and Intellectual Property licenses provided by Freerider Ltd., by e-Traction Europe B.V., a wholly-owned subsidiary of e-Traction Worldwide S.C.A.. (see English language article)

A virtually silent - zero-emission - 7.5 ton - city-delivery truck equipped with e-Traction^® System, developed with funding and Intellectual Property licenses provided by Freerider Ltd., by e-Traction Europe B.V. - a wholly-owned subsidiary of e-Traction Worldwide S.C.A., on behalf of the Boudesteijn Group, in collaboration with NedStack was on display at the Hydrogen + Fuel Cell exhibition at the Hannover Messe. (Click: for link to details)

March 23^rd 2009 - MIT Technology Review article about TheWheel™

Article about the current state of development of TheWheel™ in relation to its upcoming first use in Public Transit in the Netherlands. (Click: for link to article)

November 2008 - Contract for the conversion of five Volvo buses to the "Whisper^® III" standard for the Town of Apeldoorn was signed.

The Department of Transportation of the Netherlands is providing €10 million support for five innovative public transit projects. It includes a participation in a €3,5 million project involving the conversion and testing of five Volvo B7L-Carrus city buses with the  e-Traction^® System for the town of Apeldoorn, where the company's principal R&D facility is located. The Province of Gelderland, the Town of Apeldoorn and the concession holder Veolia are contributing as well. The "in market test" will be conducted in a specifically designated "innovation concession", which has been separated from the main concession, and is currently scheduled to last two years.  (see Dutch newspaper article)

October 25^th 2007 - Hytruck makes its public debut

A collaboration between the Boudesteijn Group, NedStack and e-Traction has resulted in a 7.5 ton virtually silent zero-emission city-delivery truck, which was introduced at The European Road Transport Show 2007 in the RAI in Amsterdam on October 25th 2007, when the Hytruck also received the (TERTS) Innovation Award 2007.

June 2007 - 3G version of Whisper^® plans progressing.

Based on the experience gained from two years of testing the Whisper^® a multi-faceted upgrade has been scheduled. With generous support of a TOEP subsidy from SenterNovem, the planned conversion will bring the Whisper^® to the anticipated early series-production standard of future public transit buses for much wider spectrum of global operating conditions. Completion is currently expected before the end of 2007.

Four additional direct-drive systems added to product-line in 2007:

The non-wheel-hub direct-drive product line was augmented with the SM350/2AL. This unit produces twice the amount of torque and/or generates twice the amount of energy of the SM350/1AL. It has been successfully installed in the company-owned Whisper^® 3G, thereby greatly improving its operational flexibility.

 

 

TheWheel™ SM450/1AL direct-drive has been designed to cater to the increasing demand from the automotive industry and private initiatives for use in passenger cars.

 

 

TheWheel™ SM500/3FE is a 50% more powerful version of the SM500/2 system to allow a wider range of applications in challenging environments.

 

 

TheWheel™ SM500/3FEXL was designed for industrial and monorail applications to handle extreme loads up to 25 metric tons per wheel.

May 24^th 2006 - TNT truck retrofitted with e-Mission™ Particle Eliminator.

State Secretary for Environmental Affairs, Mr. Pieter van Geel, unveiled 25 trucks and delivery vans equipped with a broad selection of retrofit air-pollution control devices. One TNT truck now includes the e-Mission™ Particle Eliminator, which was designed and constructed specifically for this diesel combustion engine and installed within four weeks after an eleventh hour invitation to partake in this SenterNovem "retrofit practice test". Early results have been promising.

April 20^th 2006 - Dutch Prime Minister in e-Traction-Bus

Prime Minister Balkenende (left), together with Secretary for Environmental Affairs van Geel (right) and the Queen's Commissioner for Noord Brabant Mrs. Maij-Weggen inside the e-Traction-Bus at Nedalco discussed the easy adaptability of the e-Traction^® System for the use of ethanol with Ing. Arjan Heinen, Chief Technology Officer of e-Traction Worldwide S.C.A. (see: e-Traction^® Auxiliary Power Unit).

March 2006 - Whisper^® reaches top speed of 120 km/h

As part of ongoing experiments the Whisper^®, now featuring a radiator grill on the left rear quarter for improved cooling of TheWheel™ SM500/2FE traction systems in power applications and higher ambient temperature operating environments, attained a top speed of 120 km/h. The consistently low power consumption, despite the significant air-resistance, proved that the e-Traction^® dual-electric direct-drive technology is suitable for city-bus and long range applications alike.

February 2006 - Whisper^® maintains 80 km/h with only 57 kW

Originally configured for inner city use the Whisper^®, despite a high air-resistance penalty, can actually maintain a speed of 80 km/h with only 57 kW. These experiments show that with a properly sized generator (see: e-Traction^® Auxiliary Power Unit) that the e-Traction^® System, at whatever fuel chosen, places its range solely as a function of the size of the fuel storage and the combustion engine. To remove the need to also tax the batteries in high energy demand situations while still maintaining the same overall fuel- and energy efficiency experienced thus far, a more versatile variable speed and output AC/DC generator section is scheduled to be installed by late May 2006.

February 17^th 2006 - Dutch Secretary of Environmental Affairs rides in e-Traction-Bus

Secretary for Environmental Affairs van Geel was transported with the e-Traction-Bus between environmentally friendly initiatives of the Community of Apeldoorn (Netherlands).

January 18^th 2006 -  Whisper^® holds its own on Route 25 in Bremen (D)

At the invitation and expense of the Bremer Straßenbahn AG (BSAG) the Whisper™ was transported to Bremen (Germany) to demonstrate its capabilities. Unlike any hybrid bus before it, despite being unable to influence traffic lights to its advantage, the Whisper^® was able to perform the BSAG's most demanding bus route No. 25 within the regular schedule filled with passengers who were offered free transportation for the special occasion.

Click for more (high resolution) pictures of this event.

December 7^th 2005 - Dutch Prime Minister rides in Whisper^®

Prime Minister Balkenende of the Netherlands, as the Chairman of the Commission to spur Innovation, made time in his busy schedule during the National Innovation Event to be briefed on the Whisper^® and subsequently also ride in it. In his closing remarks highlighting his personal impressions of the day, the Prime Minister hailed the Whisper^® as an example of Dutch ingenuity that deserves support for both ecological and economical reasons.

(Click image to enlarge)

December 2005:  Energy consumption of the Whisper^® continues to impress:

Featuring the e-Mission™ Particle Eliminator on its roof, the Whisper^® has now been operated in simulated revenue service in and around Apeldoorn for more than six months. Measured over the total test distance covered by the end of 2005; the average electric energy consumption for this almost 11 metric ton empty-weight bus can be summarized as following:

650 Wh, or 2.34 megajoules, per city kilometer, and

600 Wh, or 2.16 megajoules on the highway at a sustained speed of 85 km/h.