ABB to charge the largest single network of 101 electric buses in Europe using open industry standard OppCharge
14 February 2017
ABB has received an order for a further 12 bus charging systems from Volvo Buses to power the largest single network
of electric buses and bus charging systems in Europe. The order will include installation sites in Charleroi, Belgium, providing 15 ABB charging stations in total by 2018, to power 101 Volvo electric hybrid buses in the Wallonia public transport system, operated by TEC Group. In January, ABB inaugurated the first two OppCharge bus charging stations ordered in February 2016, to power eleven electric hybrid buses running within a new zero- emissions zone in the city center of Namur. (Earlier post.)
The charging stations will fully charge the electric hybrid buses with 150 kW of charging power in three to six minutes during layover times at the bus route’s end points. ABB’s fast chargers are compliant with the open Interface OppCharge, which means that buses from other manufactures can also be charged.
The scope of ABB’s second contract is a complete turnkey project to charge the additional 90 Volvo Electric Hybrid buses and includes twelve 150 kW charging stations, substations, switchgear, civil works, installation and a service contract.
The order is a new milestone in our electromobility drive and confirms the competitiveness of our offer. We can see that more and more of the world’s cities are choosing electrified city bus traffic in order to deal with poor air quality and noise. The common interface for fast charging of buses and trucks, OppCharge, is gaining ground. The use by many suppliers of a common interface will facilitate the transition to electromobility in the world’s cities.
—Volvo Buses President Håkan Agnevall
ABB’s fast charger connectivity includes remote diagnostics and management, and over-the-air software upgrades to ensure a fast response and high availability.
The Volvo 7900 Electric Hybrid operates quietly and exhaust emission-free on electricity for about 70% of its route. Energy consumption is about 60% lower than for a corresponding diesel bus. Volvo’s electric hybrids have already entered service in cities such as Gothenburg, Stockholm, Hamburg, Luxemburg, Namur and Curitiba.
Our lives getting better are just around the corner. The United States is behind and needs to move forward faster.
Posted by: Jeffgreen54 | 14 February 2017 at 11:34 AM
Greener faster means trucks more than buses.
Posted by: SJC | 15 February 2017 at 02:13 AM