Czech Republic: The two-car catenary-battery trainset has been sent to VUZ, the Velim test centre, Czechia.
The rolling stock was produced in 2022 on the base of the single-deck 7Ev train, a traditional Škoda Group’s EMU manufactured since 2011. Powered by catenary, the train can accelerate up to 160 km/h. In battery mode, the new hybrid train can operate at a maximum speed of 120 km/h with a range of 80 km.
Last March, Škoda Group was awarded a contract for the delivery of four such BEMUs to the Czech national operator ČD to serve the Moravian-Silesian region. The trains, ordered without a tender, are to be supplied in December. According to Zdopravy, each trainset is worth CZK 152 mln (€6.1 mln), and this is CZK 35.1 mln (€1.4 mln) more than the 7Ev train’s cost. Meanwhile, ČD’s tender announced in late 2022 is underway, with Stadler among the bidders for the supply of 15 BEMUs for the same Moravian-Silesian region.
