Czech Republic: The two-car 15Ev5 battery-electric multiple unit (BEMU) made its public debut at the Rail Business Days exhibition in Ostrava. It is based on the RegioPanter platform and represents an upgraded version of the 15Ev3, in service since 2024.
The earlier generation was an electric multiple unit retrofitted with batteries. The new train, by contrast, has been designed for battery traction from the outset. Its core specifications remain unchanged: the four traction motors deliver 1,360 kW, range in battery mode is 80 km, and top speed is 160 km/h under the overhead line and 120 km/h in battery mode. The design has become more efficient overall, with lower energy consumption and a weight saving of several tonnes.
Škoda Group’s 15Ev5 EMU at the Rail Business Days exhibition in Ostrava. Source: Škoda Group
The new train carries lithium-titanate batteries from Switzerland’s ABB. Thirteen Pro 8C-850 packs are mounted on the roof, with a combined capacity of 440 kWh and a weight of 6.1 t. Škoda says they are lighter than the previous Toshiba batteries, last longer at 15 years (more than 20,000 recharging cycles) and offer better performance. The train also uses more efficient, more economical silicon-carbide traction converters. Power-to-weight ratio for the updated unit is 10.9 kW/t.
The interior layout has changed as well. At the customer’s request, the number of passenger doors has been cut from four pairs to three, while seating has risen from 140 to 150.
Škoda Group’s 15Ev5 EMU at the Rail Business Days exhibition in Ostrava. Source: Škoda Group
National operator ČD has ordered 15 of these trains for CZK 3.5 bln (about €140 mln), with maintenance included over 15 years. The first unit was shown in September last year at the TRAKO exhibition in Gdańsk, and the second has been on test at the Velim test centre in the Czech Republic since January. Delivery of the full batch was initially planned for November 2026 but has slipped to March 2027 because of problems supplying aluminium profiles. The fleet will operate in the Moravian-Silesian region.
Earlier this year, ČD launched a procurement for up to 120 similar trains for other Czech regions. Škoda Group also holds active contracts to supply up to 36 BEMUs to Slovakia and up to 16 to Latvia. A further 34 hybrid trains — drawing traction from the overhead line, batteries and an auxiliary diesel engine — have been ordered by Czech private operator RegioJet.
