Energy generated by Barcelona metro train brakes will charge e-vehicles

Energy is never lost, it only gets transformed – finally, someone’s making use of that principle

Earlier today, Barcelona’s public transport operator TMB launched a pilot test called Metrolinera, which involves the installation of modular lockers at the Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica metro station, where EV car drivers can charge their vehicles. The novelty: the charging electricity has been recovered from the kinetic energy generated when the subway trains are braking in the station.

There are nine modular lockers in question, and they can be found at the Zoo entrance of the Line 4 station. They will serve as a recharging point for the batteries, thanks to the recovery of energy generated by the braking of the metro trains themselves.

Easing sustainable intermodality

Another cool thing about this project is that the idea was generated by the Metro employee themselves after the company organized a call for ideas called Estació del Futur (Station of the Future).

The efficient use of energy and the resources generated by the metro itself will be the protagonists of this installation that responds to the demand caused by the increase in personal mobility vehicles, which in recent times are increasingly gaining popularity among local drivers.

According to Laia Bonet, the president of TMB, the service will make it possible to bring together the mobility needs of citizens "by integrating the public transport service into the journeys of those people who combine personal mobility products - such as electric scooters - in their daily journeys, and the subway itself". 

The service, which will be paid for, is now beginning an initial testing phase that will allow students from Pompeu Fabra University — the building next to the Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica station — to test it for free. The general public, meanwhile, can also access the service, in this case with a 50% discount.