ABB and automobile major Volvo announced their partnership to electrify city streets in Gothenburg.
ABB will supply charging infrastructure solutions to bus operator Transdev to power Volvo’s 157 electric buses — starting in 2020 — on the streets of Gothenburg, Molndal and Partille. The development represents an important step towards achieving a sustainable public transport solution for the 180 million trips made by bus in the region each year.
Swedish government aims to become climate neutral by 2050. Public transport company Vasttrafik expects to have electrified all city traffic in Vastra Gotaland by 2030.
Services will be scheduled to commence in December 2020. The new electrified lines will mean a total of 220 electric buses to transport Gothenburg’s residents and visitors by the end of the year.
“Volvo Buses is a leader in electro-mobility and solutions for sustainable public transport. Together with ABB and our partners, we have created a holistic transport solution that will make public transport in Gothenburg quieter and emission-free,” said Hakan Agnevall, president at Volvo Buses.
ABB will install 19 new high-power electric chargers during the second half of 2020 before the new buses go into operation, and another two stations are planned for the future.
The buses in Gothenburg, Molndal and Partille will be charged by 450kW high power Panto Down chargers from ABB. A modular solution based on OppCharge, an open interface for direct current (DC) electric bus charging, offers high-power charging via an automated rooftop connection. ABB will supply a complete solution that includes both the charging stations and all the grid connection hardware via ABB’s cable distribution cabinets.
The buses will be recharged in three to six minutes at charging stations along the routes. The chargers, a part of ABB’s ABB Ability offering of digital solutions and services across all business areas, delivers web-enabled connectivity that allows network operators to perform remote monitoring and configuration of charge points and also minimizes downtime and increases efficiency.
“The sustainable transformation of bus traffic in Gothenburg is an example of how ABB is pursuing its Mission to Zero, with the goal to develop innovations that will contribute to a zero-emission future,” said Frank Muehlon, head of ABB’s global business for E-mobility Infrastructure Solutions.
ABB, which entered the EV-charging market in 2010, has sold more than 13,000 ABB DC fast chargers across over 80 countries. ABB recently received the Global E-mobility Leader 2019 award for its role in supporting the international adoption of sustainable transport solutions.