Energy storage application in trolley-buses lines for a sustainable urban mobility

The focus of the present paper is pointed on trolley-buses lines, as solution for the urban mass transport in medium size cities. After a comparison in terms of economic and environmental features, with other mobility systems, the potential upgrading actions on trolley-buses line, that would improve its energy performance, are highlighted. In particular the energy storage application in power supplying system and on board the vehicles is deeply analyzed. To identify which of the two solutions involves in the highest energy saving, a study has been performed on the case of a trolley-buses line proposed for Cosenza city.