Czechia: Škoda Group has unveiled a new hybrid multiple unit for private passenger operator RegioJet. The project was presented in Prague this autumn with Škoda Group CEO Petr Novotný and RegioJet owner Radim Jančura in attendance. The key innovation lies in the use of a diesel generator to charge traction batteries, giving rise to the designation BEDMU – Battery Electric Diesel Multiple Unit). ROLLINGSTOCK gathered all publicly available information about the project.
The production of these trains was confirmed by a contract signed in September between Škoda Group and RegioJet. Valued at over CZK 9 bln (€370 mln), the deal covers 34 regional trains—18 two-car and 16 three-car sets—scheduled to enter service in north-eastern Czech Republic in 2029.
Core design and capacity
The new trains, factory-designated 27Ev, are based on the single-deck RegioPanter platform, in production since 2011. The design has been widely deployed across the Czech Republic and exported to Slovakia, Latvia, Estonia, and Bulgaria.
Key technical specifications of the new Škoda 27Ev trains (enlarge)
Featuring a conventional layout with two bogies per car, each with two axles, the RegioPanter platform offers a floor height of 580 mm above rail top in the central low-floor section. Dedicated spaces are provided for wheelchair users, prams, and bicycles, alongside vending machines. Two-car sets will offer 120 seats, including 10 in business class, while the three-car variant will have 197 seats, 16 of which are in business class.
Visualisation of the Škoda 27Ev train interior. Source: Škoda Group
The trains will be equipped with the European Train Control System (ETCS) and designed for a maximum speed of 160 km/h under overhead supply (3 kV DC or 25 kV AC) and 120 km/h in battery-diesel hybrid mode.
Hybrid power system
The new train builds on Škoda’s battery-electric model introduced in 2024 in the Moravian-Silesian Region. However, given the much longer non-electrified sections in north-eastern Czechia, which exceed the 80 km range of the current 15Ev3 battery EMU, Škoda decided to add a compact diesel-generator module to recharge the batteries while in motion.
Although details of the generator’s supplier, power output, or range in hybrid mode have not yet revealed details, it is said the unit can run on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). The modular concept allows future conversion of these trains into battery-only, battery with overhead, or fully electric versions.
Renderings of the two- and three-car 27Ev trainsets in profile. Source: Škoda Group
Renderings show the diesel-generator unit located on the roof of one driving car, similar to the approach used by manufacturers such as CAF (on the Coradia Polyvalent platform, formerly owned by Alstom) and Končar (class 7023).
It should be noted that using the diesel generator solely as a power source to charge the batteries represents a unique technical solution for railway transport, for which ROLLINGSTOCK could find no equivalents. In most hybrid trains—such as Hitachi’s Blues for Italy—the diesel engine remains the primary traction source in autonomous mode, with electric storage (battery or supercapacitor) used mainly for load balancing by absorbing energy during recuperation and providing extra acceleration.
Operational and environmental benefits
According to Škoda Group, replacing conventional diesel units with the new hybrid type will reduce fuel consumption, improve operating efficiency, and cut CO₂ emissions by up to 19,000 tonnes a year. The company also expects journey times to drop by up to 30 minutes on certain routes. Petr Novotný additionally highlighted the strengthening of the national industry and its competitiveness, emphasising that the trains will be entirely designed and manufactured in the Czech Republic, with about 80% of the component suppliers being Czech companies.
