Switzerland is in the midst of a pilot program testing some of the fastest charging batteries on the planet.
These batteries aren’t being put in cell phones or computers, but being testing in fully electric buses. These buses have several advantages both in performance and cosmetics.
Most electric buses are powered through a series of cable lines running through cities, which the TOSA, or Trolleybus Optimisation Système Alimentation pilot project, could make obsolete, according to CNET.
CNET writes the buses have a battery pack on top of the buses and when making stops at specific stations, a robotic arm connects the bus the charger and can provide a 15-second flash charge.
These flash charges help keep the bus running throughout the day and at only a quarter of a minute, is quick enough to take place during the time passengers would normally be getting on and off the bus.
A charging station is available every few stops on a bus’s route, with each charge providing the bus with enough juice to power it to the next station. According to CNET, “Geneva is the first city expected to adopt a TOSA bus line as part of its regular service, with a start date sometime in 2017.”