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Press release

Inauguration of OppCharge electric bus system in Luxembourg

2016-12-20
Press information
An OppCharge electric bus system with 12 Volvo electric hybrid buses and charging infrastructure supplied by ABB was inaugurated yesterday in Bertrange, commuter town in south-west of Luxembourg.
Inauguration of OppCharge electric bus system in Luxembourg

The bus system with Volvo hybrid electric buses, ABB fast charging infrastructure and substation has been delivered to the local authority Ministry of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure (MDDI) of Luxembourg. The charging station and bus stop have been constructed by ABB and the national road administration (Administration des Ponts et Chausseés).  The plug-in hybrid electric buses will be recharged and used by bus operator Sales-Lentz.

Volvo’s electric hybrid buses and ABB’s fast chargers are based on the open interface OppCharge, which means that buses from other manufactures can also be charged at the same stations. The charging station has been installed at the railway station of Bertrange and will fully charge Volvo hybrid electric buses with 150kW of charging power in three to six minutes, during the layover times at the bus route’s end point. The ABB fast charger has a modular design and can be upgraded to 300kW and 450kW.

“We are very proud to participate at the inauguration of this first OppCharge electric bus system in Luxembourg. Today’s inauguration is a proof of Luxembourg’s continuous efforts to create a sustainable environment for its residents, with a zero emission urban bus system”, said Håkan Agnevall, President Volvo Buses.

Luxembourg was one of the first countries in Europe to implement buses with hybrid technology. In 2009, the first Volvo hybrids were delivered. Today 41 Volvo 7900 Hybrids operate in Luxemburg. Sales-Lentz, the leading bus operator in the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, will be the first customer for Volvo full electric buses with start of operation in May 2017.

Volvo 7900 Electric Hybrid

  • Can be powered by electricity for up to 70 % of operating time.
  • Quiet and exhaust-free when running on electricity.
  • 60 % lower energy consumption1 than a corresponding diesel bus.
  • 75–90 % lower emissions of carbon dioxide1 compared with a conventional diesel bus, depending on the fuel used.
  • Equipped with an electric motor, batteries and a small diesel engine
  • Opportunity charging according to OppCharge Core Specification
  • The batteries are recharged at the end terminals in a few minutes.

1)Estimated value on a city bus route of 10 kilometres, compared to a diesel bus Euro 6.

ABB bus chargers

  • Easy to integrate into existing bus lines (pantograph mounted on the infrastructure enables use of low-cost and low weight interface on roof of the bus)
  • Modular design offering charging power of 150 kW, 300 kW or 450 kW
  • ABB’s proven suite of connectivity features enables maximum availability, high uptime and fast service response.
  • Based on OppCharge and IEC 61851-23, the international standard for fast charging of electric vehicles ensuring the appropriate safety systems are in place, the electrical design is in accordance with regulations, and the systems architecture and working principle are supported by wider automotive community in future.

More information on OppCharge at: www.oppcharge.org