Spains MetroCHARGE Powers EVs With Energy Recovered From Barcelona Subway Train Brakes [Video]

In Barcelona, energy from train brakes that could otherwise be wasted is now being harvested to charge electric vehicles.

As part of Spain’s MetroCHARGE project, 16 subway stations in Barcelona use brake energy recuperators to redirect energy from the train brakes to EV charging stations on the streets, The Associated Press reported.

Regenerative braking is not a new concept, especially for trains. But the move to transport the energy from the brakes through cables to electric vehicle chargers is an innovative way to supply power to charging stations.

According to the Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), the main transportation operator in Barcelona, the MetroCHARGE project uses a combinationof the brake energy recuperators on select trains as well as five solar power plants and a combination of ultra-fast and semi-fast EV chargers to harness clean energy and create a self-sufficient EV charging …