A joint venture between ABB and Volvo has seen the first ‘OppCharge’ electric bus charging station installed outside Volvo’s electric bus depot in Arendal, Norway.
OppCharge is set to become the European standard for rooftop charging systems across a range of manufacturers, with outputs up to 450kW.
According AAB’s head of discrete automation and motion in Sweden Robert Larsson, the objective of the project was to create a viable platform for electric and hybrid vehicles.
“The aim of the cooperation initiative is to jointly develop and commercialise electric buses and hybrid electric buses that are equipped with DC fast charging systems that are based on open standards,” Larsson said.
“The demonstration of buses and charging station as product and system gives a clear picture of what the installation looks like for the customer. Maximum utilisation of existing electric vehicle technology will accelerate the rise of green and emission-free public transit in cities.”
President of Volvo Bus, Håkan Agnevall, believes the roll out of OppCharge is a milestone in the move towards an electric future.
“It is very gratifying to inaugurate yet another charging station based on the open interface for fast charging – OppCharge. Volvo’s electric buses and electric buses from other manufacturers can be charged here,” Agnevall said.
“With OppCharge, European cities can rest assured that electric buses and charging infrastructure from different manufacturers are compatible with each other and that lock-in effects can be avoided. This creates the conditions needed for an accelerated transition to electric bus systems in cities,” he added.
