ABB has inaugurated the first OppCharge fast-charging station for electric buses in Benelux, in the commuter belt town of Bertrange, Luxembourg.
The fast charger, with associated electrical systems, is based on OppCharge, an open interface for DC electric bus charging using a pantograph mounted on the infrastructure.
The project has been delivered with ABB fast charging infrastructure and substation to the local authority MDDI Ministry of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure; with the support of the national road administration of Luxembourg (Administration des Ponts et Chausseés). Bus operator Sales-Lentz will use the charger to recharge electric hybrid buses from Volvo.
The charging station has been installed at Gare de Bertrange/Strassen and will fully charge Volvo electric hybrid buses with 150kW of charging power in three to six minutes, during the layover times at the bus route’s end points. The ABB fast charger has a modular design and can be upgraded easily to 300kW and 450kW. ABB’s fast chargers are based on the open Interface OppCharge, which means that buses from other manufactures can also be charged.
ABB’s fast charging solutions are based on IEC 61851-23, the international standard for fast charging of electric vehicles. This ensures the appropriate safety systems are in place, the electrical design is in accordance with regulations, and the systems architecture and working principles are supported by the wider automotive community in the future.
In October, ABB inaugurated the first bus charging station next to Volvo’s electric bus depot in Arendal, Sweden. The combination of Volvo Electric Hybrids and ABB’s automatic e-bus chargers in the Luxembourg public transport system is the second joint project of ABB and Volvo Buses. Potentially 12 Volvo electric hybrid buses operated by Sales-Lentz will be running on existing public bus lines in Luxembourg.
Sales-Lentz has a history of being an early adopter of new technologies. Sales-Lentz, the leading bus operator in the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, was already the world launch customer for Volvo hybrid buses in 2009, Volvo electric hybrid buses in May this year and will be the first customer for Volvo full electric buses in May 2017. Its impressive fleet of 500 vehicles enables it to meet all types of transportation requirements, from the most straightforward personal mobility request to organized trips as well as transport for the public, schools, events and group travel.
The quiet and clean Volvo 7900 Electric Hybrid buses are designed for zero-emission areas and silent or safety zones and can run about seven kilometres in quiet, emission-free operation. They create possibilities to open new routes and stops in areas that were not possible before. The buses extend their reach and flexibility when needed with a small diesel engine.
