In the 1940s, Swiss engineers developed a new type of zero-emission electric bus that used large rotating flywheels to store energy instead of rechargeable batteries. Many Swiss cities at that time used trams as public transport, powered by electricity from overhead cables on predetermined routes. However, installing overhead power lines on new routes was expensive. Wanting to create a quieter and cleaner vehicle not restricted by overhead power lines, Bjarne Storsand, chief engineer of Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon, came up with the idea of the Gyrobus in 1946.
The Gyrobus is powered by an electric motor that uses electricity produced by a flywheel generator to store energy. The flywheel charges at a charging station thanks to three long rods on the vehicle’s roof and when it reaches its maximum speed of 3,000 rpm, it is fully charged. The bus can then run 6 km at a speed of 50 – 60 km/h depending on the load and slope of the route. Sometimes, the Gyrobus can even run 10 km on a single charge. The large flywheel used was sealed inside an airtight chamber filled with hydrogen, reducing drag. Charging the stationary flywheel took 40 minutes, but replenishing power only took 2 – 5 minutes when the flywheel was spinning.
Gyrobuses were used in limited numbers in many cities until 1960, but high energy consumption caused the system to cease operations in most places. Currently, there is only one gyrobus in existence, restored, preserved and displayed at the Flemish Train and Bus Museum in Antwerp.
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