ABB develops smart charging solution for bus depots

Swedish-Swiss group multinational corporation ABB that operates mainly in robotics, power, heavy electrical equipments, and automation technology areas, has showcased its new HVC-Overnight Charging product that offers smart charging solutions for charging large fleets.

The new solution can charge large fleets during the night and ensure zero emission transportation during the day. With the global electric bus market expected to witness a compound annual growth rate above 30 percent from 2017 to 2025, ABB is betting big with its development of the smart Heavy Vehicle Charger (HVC) charging solutions ‘HVC-Overnight Charging’ products. 

The new development will offer a compact, single power cabinet paired with up to three charge boxes. This means that after the first vehicle has finished charging, the next will start charging automatically, maximising vehicle availability and reducing the initial investment and subsequent operational costs. 

Frank Muhlon, head of ABB’s Global Business for Electric Vehicle Charging, said: “Policy makers across the globe are focusing on developing sustainable public transit solutions to tackle emissions in and around the most densely populated cities.  The launch of our HVC-Overnight Charging products enabling a smart sequential charging is another significant step towards making this a reality.”

The modular design allows scalability for the power cabinets of ABB’s HVC-Overnight Charger that can be upgraded from 50kW to 100kW or 150kW at any time. The chargers also come with an suite of connectivity features including remote monitoring, remote management, remote diagnostics, and remote software upgrades. These advanced services will provide customers with insight into their charging operation, and enable high uptime and fast response to problems.

The company also showcased the HVC-Opportunity Charging range, which offers high-power automated charging for both single and double deck electric buses from any manufacturer in as little as 3-6 minutes by using a pantograph coming down from the infrastructure.