One of San Diego’s Siemens-built light rail vehicles has set a new Guinness World Record for the longest distance travelled by a battery-powered tram on a single charge.

In July, an S70 tram covered 24.6 kilometres in 24 hours on San Diego Metropolitan Transit System’s (MTS) Green Line.

Having initially supplied 11 S70 vehicles to the city in 2005, Siemens was awarded a further contract for 57 low-floor trams in 2009. This was later upped to 65 in 2012.

In a post on the Siemens USA website, Robin Stimson, vice president, business development, rolling stock said: “We were able to achieve this record, in part, because of the unique innovations that today’s world can inspire.

“Our company has long lived in the tradition of making new and exciting things, and that’s why we always strive to be on the leading-edge of the research, development and testing of next-generation technologies like light rail vehicle energy storage.”