Volvo Buses and ABB have inaugurated a charging station for electric buses based on the open OppCharge interface. With OppCharge, electrified buses and charging stations from different manufacturers can be used together. The aim is to facilitate the introduction of electric bus systems in cities the world over.

Together with ABB, Volvo Buses yesterday inaugurated a charging station for electric buses based on the open OppCharge interface. This is ABB’s first charging station for electric buses in Sweden.

		It is installed outside Volvo’s electric bus terminal in Arendal, Gothenburg and is a joint reference project between ABB and Volvo Buses. The aim of this cooperative venture is to cooperate on the development and commercialisation of electric buses and electric hybrid buses equipped with systems for DC opportunity charging using open standards. Demonstrations of buses and charging stations both as products and systems offer a clear picture of what installation at the customer’s premises looks like.

With the new charging station, Volvo is demonstrating that the company’s electric buses are compatible with chargers from several different manufacturers. The buses operating on route 55 are now charged using systems delivered by ABB and Siemens.

“It feels great to be working together with ABB inaugurating yet another charging station based on the open interface for opportunity charging, OppCharge. Both Volvo electric buses and buses made by other manufacturers can use this charging facility. With OppCharge the world’s cities can rest assured that electric buses and charging infrastructure from different manufacturers are compatible with one another and that there is no risk of being restricted to specific manufacturers. This creates the right preconditions for accelerated transition to electric bus systems in cities all over the world,” said Håkan Agnevall, President Volvo Buses.

“We’re delighted to be involved and to contribute to sustainable and cost-effective transport solutions while at the same time meeting the needs of cities that are continuing to grow. The simplified use of electric vehicles is a competitive solution for the future that we, together with Volvo, want to offer,” said Robert Larsson, Division Manager, ABB Discrete Automation and Motion in Sweden.

Last spring, Volvo along with several other bus and infrastructure manufacturers took the initiative to create an open, standardised interface between charging equipment and vehicles.

Volvo Buses is the market leader in electromobility and has delivered more than 2800 electric hybrids and electric buses to 21 countries the world over.

OppCharge

• Open interface between charging equipment and vehicle
• 150 kW and 300 kW charge
• All moving parts integrated into the charging pylon
• 3-6 minute charge sufficient for 30 minutes of driving
• Conductive static charge via a pantograph with communication between bus and charging station via WiFi
• The bus has roof-mounted contact rails that can handle all weather conditions from -25 C to +45C
• Volvo works together with ABB and Siemens on charging infrastructure