Toshiba Corporation has announced a partnership with Kawasaki Tsurumi Rinko Bus Co., Ltd. (Rinko Bus) and Drive Electro Technology Co., Ltd. to jointly study a demonstration project for a super-rapid charging battery system powered by a pantograph. The project, scheduled to begin in November 2025, will see a modified bus operating on public roads in Kawasaki, south of Tokyo.
This initiative, Japan’s first demonstration of an e-bus charged by a pantograph on public roads, aims to assess the feasibility of commercial operations. Rinko Bus will manage the bus service, while Drive Electro Technology will provide the pantograph charging system and retrofit the diesel bus with Toshiba’s SCiB rechargeable battery.
A key aspect of the project will be the reuse of SCiB batteries, which will be installed in the charging system. These batteries will help reduce power consumption during peak hours by storing energy and supplying it to the on-board battery via the pantograph. “This project will demonstrate how used batteries can enhance operational efficiency and contribute to environmental sustainability,” Toshiba stated.
The global adoption of electric buses remains slow, with only 50,000 units sold in 2023, representing 3% of all bus sales. Challenges such as long charging times, limited chargers, and space constraints in urban areas continue to hinder widespread deployment, particularly in densely populated cities in Asia.
