Geneva's public transport network will be going high-tech in the not too distant future as their Government has just awarded a $16 million contract to ABB to build a network of 'flash-charging' charging stations which will power buses along a new route in the city, running from the city's airport to a new suburb dubbed Praille-Acacias-Vernet.

When the stations are up and running, these electric buses that run along the 13-station route will automatically charge itself for just 15 seconds when the bus stops at these stations to pick up and drop off passengers. It is reported this short charge can provide the buses with enough power to reach the next charging station.

At the end of the route, the buses will only need five minutes to fully charge itself thanks to the 600kW chargers that are five times more powerful than Tesla's superchargers. In comparison, a Tesla Model S will need around 75 minutes to reach full charge.

The authorities claim that using this electric buses can cut carbon dioxide emissions by up to 1,000 tons per year compared to more traditional diesel buses.