Just to add to what others have said certainly on departure from Manchester Victoria there were no engines running only the sound of the electric motors so presumably it's the same idea of the semi hybrid cars same buses.
The Hitachi Rail PR says the battery capacity is "storing enough electricity to power more than 75 houses for a day". This is probably based on Ofgem Typical Domestic Consumption Values which recently fell from 2900 to 2700 kWh/year. 2700/365 is about 7.4 kWh/day, which for 75 houses means about 555 kWh as the capacity.Pedant alert but despite what is written in the article, the battery will not have been 700kw. It might have been 700kWh and/or it might be attached to motor that can generate 700kW (probably the existing motor(s) from the sounds of it) but the battery is not 700kw.
A 5-car 802 has 12 motors, i.e. 2.7 MW, so there is scope to increase the battery power and get closer to 25kV performance - might come in handy west of Exeter, for instance?The traction motors on the 800-807s are rated at 226kW each, continuous.
Can you explain why not? What is the power rating of the battery?the battery will not have been 700kw.
Can you explain why not? What is the power rating of the battery?
Hitachi say "more than 700kW"
Brand new battery technology to be trialled on TransPennine train : Hitachi Global
Search Hitachi press releases and official announcements.www.hitachi.com
@Noddy: I had been resisting replying on your behalf for quite a few hoursBatteries store energy and this is measured in kWh (kilowatt hours). This is the equivalent to the capacity of the fuel tank in a diesel. The (Electric) motors are what are actually driving the vehicle/train and it is their power that is measured in kW. In this case the battery is probably (‘more than’) 700kWh (being misreported as 700kW). This 700kWh is used to power the 12 motors, 226kW each for a total power of 2.3MW, the same as any other class 802.
So if you increase (or decrease) the size of the battery the train itself won’t be any more (or less) powerful, it will simply change the distance it can travel and the acceleration/deceleration because of the impact of having a heavier or lighter battery (like having a smaller or larger fuel tank in a diesel).
Hopefully this makes sense? If it doesn’t I’ll try to have another go!!

Nevertheless, the power produced is limited by the speed of the chemical reaction taking place and the safe dissipation of the heat created, so the rated power of the battery is of interest if it is known, since it may be well below the power the motors are capable of accepting.Batteries store energy and this is measured in kWh (kilowatt hours)
Agreed. As I mentioned, lots of other variables to take into account. Motors may be able to pull 700kW. Can the wiring ? Is any voltage conversion needed between the battery and the motor ? Can those converters/regulators handle the needed current ? Not a simple equation.Nevertheless, the power produced is limited by the speed of the chemical reaction taking place and the safe dissipation of the heat created, so the rated power of the battery is of interest if it is known, since it may be well below the power the motors are capable of accepting.
@Noddy: I had been resisting replying on your behalf for quite a few hours
But to add something, which I hope others may find helpful. Note, this is going to be simplified, but:
Battery capacity is measured in Wh (or kWh, or MWh or whatever). In this case it's 700kWh. This means 700 kiloWatt Hours. So what does this actually mean ? While there are a number of other variables to take into consideration, to put it very simply:
A 700kWh battery can (in theory) supply 700kW for 1 hour, Assuming the rest of the system (including wiring) can cope, and pull that amount, and deal with any thermal issues.
A 700kWh battery can also (in theory) supply 100kW for 7 hours, again dependent on other factors.
While this is back of the envelope style calculations, and does not take into account a number of variables, I make 226kW*12=2712kW, so about 15 minutes (a quarter of an hour) with a 700kWh battery without regen or other charging in the mean time. There will always be some other losses in the system. I therefore do agree with @Noddy that the battery has a capacity of 'more than' 700kWh, but how much more is difficult to say
We must look at the overall system, not just the battery in isolation
Hope that's helpful/useful
Nevertheless, the power produced is limited by the speed of the chemical reaction taking place and the safe dissipation of the heat created, so the rated power of the battery is of interest if it is known, since it may be well below the power the motors are capable of accepting.
Agreed. As I mentioned, lots of other variables to take into account. Motors may be able to pull 700kW. Can the wiring ? Is any voltage conversion needed between the battery and the motor ? Can those converters/regulators handle the needed current ? Not a simple equation.
Truth be told, both figures are needed (kWh, and max safe drain from the battery, and TBH from a electrical standpoint what Voltage is the battery, and what voltage are the motors and wiring are rated/specified for)
This isn't entirely true. Full power will be drawn when accelerating to max speed, which will occur at medium to high speeds where the power of the motors can be fully applied to the rails. At low speeds the acceleration of the train is limited by rail adhesion, so full power cannot physically be applied without excessive wheelslip.I will just point out the motors for the train are only going to draw the full 3(ish)MW (there clearly is an issue around this figure as well!) if they are (all) at full power (ie the highest acceleration setting). Assuming slower acceleration and/or achieving a cruising speed will also extend the time from the suggested 15 minutes as they will draw less energy, even before taking account of regen gains.
An operational electric locomotive is arguably more authentic than any non-operational locomotive.This is exciting in so many different ways.
There's now the real opportunity to operate heritage electric locos or units on non electrified tracks. Ok, they won't be quite as authentic if you take out the 4-8 tonne transformer and drop in 4-8 tonnes of batteries instead, but they'd be operational.
Traction motors power quoted will be the continuous rating but it will have an overload capability of 20-30% short term which can be exploited when on 25kV but will be restricted to the max output of the battery that can be tolerated without causing internal mechanical stresses or life degradation. Also would be interesting to know what level of energy recuperation they achieved over the trial trips.This isn't entirely true. Full power will be drawn when accelerating to max speed, which will occur at medium to high speeds where the power of the motors can be fully applied to the rails. At low speeds the acceleration of the train is limited by rail adhesion, so full power cannot physically be applied without excessive wheelslip.
What will change is the balancing speed at which the power applied is equal to the losses of the system, but given Hitachi is only aiming for 75mph this limit may not even be reached either.
This all makes sense, but misses a rather key point.Batteries store energy and this is measured in kWh (kilowatt hours). This is the equivalent to the capacity of the fuel tank in a diesel. The (Electric) motors are what are actually driving the vehicle/train and it is their power that is measured in kW. In this case the battery is probably (‘more than’) 700kWh (being misreported as 700kW). This 700kWh is used to power the 12 motors, 226kW each for a total power at rail of 2.3MW, the same as any other class 802.
So if you increase (or decrease) the size of the battery the train itself won’t be any more (or less) powerful, it will simply change the distance it can travel and the acceleration/deceleration because of the impact of having a heavier or lighter battery (like having a smaller or larger fuel tank in a diesel).
Hopefully this makes sense? If it doesn’t I’ll try to have another go!!
The Hitachi April press release is quite clear, and they are the people who really should know.Which the article is talking about is rather unclear to me, in part because of the long history of people mixing up kW and kWh!
Is that not the C rate? Or is that a unit for battery cells only?However, a battery system also a maximum rate at which it can charge and release energy. Both of these rates would be measured in kW.
This all makes sense, but misses a rather key point.
A battery system has a capacity, or how much energy can be stored in it. This is typically measured in kWh (though less confusing units, such as MJ, are available, as pointed out by @NotATrainspott).
However, a battery system also a maximum rate at which it can charge and release energy. Both of these rates would be measured in kW.
Which the article is talking about is rather unclear to me, in part because of the long history of people mixing up kW and kWh!
The Hitachi April press release is quite clear, and they are the people who really should know.
Brand new battery technology to be trialled on TransPennine train : Hitachi Global
Search Hitachi press releases and official announcements.www.hitachi.com
BATTERY PEAK POWER OUTPUT
"Testing of the UK's first intercity battery train commenced earlier today. The battery, which generates a peak power of more than 700kw, has now been successfully retrofitted onto a TransPennine Express 'Nova 1' train (five-carriage intercity Class 802), ahead of the trial on Transpennine routes this summer."
BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE CAPACITY
"The single battery unit is incredibly powerful, storing enough electricity to power more than 75 houses for a day."
One common assumption is that a typical house average 1kW of electricity, so this equates to an energy storage capacity of 75x24hx1kW = 1800kWh. In Post #62 @InTheEastMids suggests that house now use 7.4kWh per day, which equates to 75x7.4kWh = 555kWh. So it all depends on what Hitachi assumed for their press release. It's a pity they didn't give an actual figure.
No other source has published a better figure yet. No doubt someone will soon.
On the likely capacity of the battery Ofgem say a ‘typical’ house consumes 2700kWh per year, so around 555kWh seems like reasonable figure. The press release says it was calculated based on Ofgem ‘average house’ figures, but isn’t explicit on exactly which figures it uses as Ofgem also publish low, medium (‘typical’) and high energy house figures.
They used a special battery pack designed by Turntide Technologies, using Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) technology which is especially suitable for rail traction power requirements.I've seen claims that the 802 used standard Nissan Leaf battery packs, in which case it can't be 555kWh capacity as official Nissan Leaf Batteries don't seem to be produced in "odd" sizes.
Yes, you're right. I hadn't read all the way down to the Notes for Editors. So 555kWh capacity. ThanksThe press release says it was calculated based on Ofgem ‘average house’ figures,
They used a special battery pack designed by Turntide Technologies, using Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) technology which is especially suitable for rail traction power requirements.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
Yes, you're right. I hadn't read all the way down to the Notes for Editors. So 555kWh capacity. Thanks
C rate is the relationship between a battery's charge or discharge power and energy capacity, it = power (kW) / energy (kWh).Is that not the C rate? Or is that a unit for battery cells only?
In utility batteries, power tends to be the main thing that gets quoted, to the point where it's sometimes difficult to find out how many MWh of energy is stored. Whereas, in mobility applications, the capacity tends to be stressed because that determines range, and vehicle performance is normally determined by the power of the motor rather than the battery.Batteries are not normally measured based on their peak power output
Agree, I don't think it's LFP. Turntide's products on their website are all Li-NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt). However they have recently won funding from Innovate UK to develop an LFP battery that improves on what has been trialled. Hitachi are also partners in that project, so that may be causing confusion.Where does it say they use LFP?
Where does it say they use LFP?
"The new battery is being produced by Turntide Technologies, and is of the LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) type."
The Hybrid Solution: A High-Performance Train Battery Pack with an Intelligent Built-in Battery Management System
Delivering sustainable mobility solutions means having high energy density. The solution should also be a flexible and scalable modular design for rapid deployment. The Series system voltage is a 48-volt (V) to 630-V capacity and more than 750 kilowatts.
The partnership produced a high-performance rail application battery pack of 16 batteries with a nominal system voltage of more than 2,500 V, designed to last four years on arduous routes or up to 15 years on lighter routes. This modular solution is ideal for retrofitting existing trains and avoiding extensive reengineering or rebuilding of the entire train.
I think what's going on here is journalists are a bit guilty of conflating two projects, in particular Rail Magazine.![]()
Underfloor battery power trialled on TPE Class 802
A UK project to develop new powerful underfloor batteries could be the beginning of the end of the diesel multiple unit and save the need for expensive electrification.www.railmagazine.com
EDIT:
Here is the Turntide 10 Sept press release with more details of the battery configuration.
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Hitachi Rail: Decrease the Emissions of Passenger Trains
A retrofit solution to decrease the emissions of passenger trains. Battery provider partnership equals zero-emission, U.K. rail journeys.turntide.com
In utility batteries, power tends to be the main thing that gets quoted, to the point where it's sometimes difficult to find out how many MWh of energy is stored. Whereas, in mobility applications, the capacity tends to be stressed because that determines range, and vehicle performance is normally determined by the power of the motor rather than the battery.
They used a special battery pack designed by Turntide Technologies, using Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) technology which is especially suitable for rail traction power requirements.
Hitachi’s new train replaces one of these diesel generator units with 16 batteries, like those found in electric vehicles (EVs).
Hitachi’s train uses Nissan Leaf cells.
It could be 16 of the Gen 1 systems that are on this page. Even if not, it does give you a feel of the size and weight of what the train has been carrying aroundAccording to the BBC article:-
Source:-
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Will new battery-powered trains replace diesel, and are they safe?
Manufacturers see lithium power as the future of rail travel in the UK - but the trains could pose unique challenges.www.bbc.co.uk
The current (if you excuse the pun) Nissan Battery product range is 40kWh (39kWh useable).
So 16 batteries would be 640kWh (624kWh) usable
Which comes in nicely at approximately 75 homes using just over 8kWh a day.
Apparently it weighed no more than the diesel engine it replacedIt could be 16 of the Gen 1 systems that are on this page. Even if not, it does give you a feel of the size and weight of what the train has been carrying around
Energy Storage - Turntide
Our flexible, energy storage lithium-ion NMC batteries offer 15% more energy with improved density. They’re ideal for rugged applications.turntide.com
According to the BBC article:-
Source:-
![]()
Will new battery-powered trains replace diesel, and are they safe?
Manufacturers see lithium power as the future of rail travel in the UK - but the trains could pose unique challenges.www.bbc.co.uk
The current (if you excuse the pun) Nissan Battery product range is 40kWh (39kWh useable).
So 16 batteries would be 640kWh (624kWh) usable
Which comes in nicely at approximately 75 homes using just over 8kWh a day.