A total of twenty-seven new trolley buses - 12m buses with Mercedes-Benz chassis, and 15m trolleybuses with Scania chassis - have been delivered to the city of São Paulo in southeastern Brazil by bus manufacturer, Electra-Caio. The new models replace older buses, and have improvements such as wider doors and lowered floors to make boarding easier. A further key improvement on the new buses is the use of WEG micro processor controlled electric traction systems, (comprising an AC motor controlled by a WEG CFW-09 frequency inverter), which have been developed specially to provide optimal electric traction in heavy vehicles.

The new trolleybuses are non-polluting and silent, and make the transport of people with reduced mobility that much easier. The WEG electric traction set plays a major role in this improved performance, due to its technological innovation and robustness in operation. The WEG system has demonstrated excellent performance in application to passenger vehicles, and is a reference for representatives of the host cities of the World Cup, which is being held in Brazil in 2014.

Since 2010, WEG has supplied its traction system for hybrid buses and trolleybuses to Metra, the company that operates the exclusive bus track system, BRT São Mateus - Jabaquara in São Paulo. According to Fabrizio Braga, director of Metra, the trolleybuses have shown excellent reliability. "The high-tech WEG traction inverter system allows quick diagnosis and expedites maintenance. The results are quite satisfactory and after-sales service is adapting quickly to the needs of the operation of urban transport, which requires speed and availability of the fleet. The partnership with WEG is very positive”, says Braga.

WEG meets the needs of this key transport segment with a commitment to continuous development of the electric traction system. The company is also able to offer the most competitive financing for its systems, due to their high domestic content.