Hydrogen is the energy industry's beacon of hope. It is already used as a fuel in buses, trains and cars. Europe's first hydrogen-powered streetcar is now to be built in Leipzig.

The streetcar manufacturer HeiterBlick GmbH in Leipzig, together with its partners, receives funding of 2.1 million euros from the federal government for the construction of the first prototype.The company itself is investing an additional 3 million in development and production and plans to create 40 new jobs at the Plagwitz site.

Up to ten developers will be tinkering with the streetcar at Leipzig-based Heiterblick GmbH. The first prototypes are expected to roll through the cities in four years. The vision: streetcars without overhead lines and CO2 emissions – instead, a streetcar powered by fuel cells. The new drive technology is intended to help reduce infrastructure costs and CO² emissions and to reach parts of the city that previously had no streetcar connection.

Charging many electric cars at the same time intimidates skeptics of electromobility, as they fear this might lead to frequent blackouts. Recently, GISA and Audi announced that they found a clear response to the gloomy scenario in a model test in Chemnitz: Intelligent and grid-serving charging reduces the load on the power grid and can thus help to further increase acceptance of electromobility.

Dresden as well-known location for micro- and nanoelectronics and the highly recognized TU Dresden has initiated several R&D projects starting in 2000, which digitally connect the different traffic detectors, traffic control and traffic guidance systems of the state capital. The provided information is collected in a traffic data center. The traffic control is thus fully automatic, with optional manual interventions by operators in the control center of city administration.

The pandemic has caused a lot of confusion and troubles all over the world. Especially small and mid-sized businesses have been hit hard, causing many to shut down their services and taking their times off to come up with creative solutions. Many of Leipzig’s locals have started with their digitization efforts, providing online buying options or services that involve digital products. However, not everyone has the background knowledge and experience to set up a functioning online shop that will provide their customers with a pleasant experience. That’s where “Leipzig vernetzt” comes into play: Together with the city of Leipzig, platform specialist Mercateo has built a platform to connect regional businesses with each other. Suppliers, dealers and service providers can register their offers in an easy and convenient way. 

Many of us know about the valuable information Google Maps offers us. However, there are many missing spots and information that is not disclosed, which is where digital maps of Leipzig comes into play: Citizens as well as authorities can use them to investigate the traffic in the city, parking availability but also information about land values or the development of the city infrastructure. In 2015, the city of Leipzig renewed its digital 3D city map which is available on their website. The 3D city model covers the entire city of Leipzig with more than 150,000 captured buildings, their roofs as well as facade and roof texture.

Have you ever imagined being picked up close to your door by your public transportation system? From October on and until the 15th March 2020, it is possible for users living in the north of the city of Leipzig (Wiederitzsch, Breitenfeld and Lindenthal zones) with “Flexa”, the novel and flexible digital solution offer of the Leipzig public transport company.