Progress in the design and development of improved lead/acid batteries for electric buses and vans

Transit and shuttle buses are certainly amongst the most suitable of all road vehicles to move by electric power. The restricted operational areas, nearly constant driving range and, in many cases, fleet operation, makes this application ideal for high-performance lead/acid batteries. This paper summarizes the practical experience gained from the operation of batteries in electric buses. It then describes the technical background to the products used and gives a view on future improvements and developments