The LH02 series, branded the Hi-tram, is a non-revenue Japanese battery-electric streetcar. Built in 2007 for the Railway Technical Research Institute under contract from NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization), the LH02 series is used by RTRI as an experimental hybrid streetcar that has two means of power storage.
History[]
The sole LH02 series car was delivered to RTRI in 2007; the set has been experimentally used on Sapporo Streetcar and Manyōsen lines. The Okayama Electric Tramway announced in 2011 that they would have streetcars similar to the LH02 series in terms of technology in the near future.
Design[]
The LH02 series is based on Alna Sharyo's Little Dancer design, Alna Sharyo's low-floor tram design. The LH02 series is specifically based on the Little Dancer Type S platform, with a short body and closed-off rotating bogies on each end.
Specifications[]
Construction is of stainless steel. The car is 12.9 meters long, 2.23 meters wide and 3.89 meters long. The LH02 series car is unique in that it has two methods of running. Normally, the car runs using overhead power, but in addition to the pantographs, the car also has auxiliary lithium-ion batteries located on the roof; those operate at 600 V DC. The car can run under 600 and 1,500 V DC power; 600 V DC being the standard for tramways in Japan while 1,500 V DC being standard for most heavy-rail lines in Japan. The car's traction systems are insulated gate bipolar transistor variable frequency drives manufactured by Tōyō Denki Seizō which make have a distinctive, shrill shrieking sound as the car accelerates from idle.
The lithium-ion batteries can be charged through two methods. The battery is normally charged through power collection from the pantographs, but in addition to that, some power is routed to the batteries to charge them when the car brakes, with the help of the car's regenerative brakes.
The car has a music box-styled musical horn which plays a simple jingle. This musical horn is standard on Sapporo's streetcars and various other streetcar lines.
Railway Technical Research Institute rolling stock