The charging station has been installed at Gare de Bertrange/Strassen and will fully charge Volvo 7900 Electric Hybrid buses with 150 kW of charging power in three to six minutes, during the layover times at the bus route’s end points. The ABB fast charger has a modular design and can be upgraded easily to 300kW and 450kW. ABB’s fast chargers are based on the open Interface OppCharge—i.e., buses from other manufactures can also be charged.

ABB’s fast charging solutions are based on IEC 61851-23, the international standard for fast charging of electric vehicles. This ensures the appropriate safety systems are in place, the electrical design is in accordance with regulations, and the systems architecture and working principles are supported by the wider automotive community in the future.

In October, ABB inaugurated the first bus charging station next to Volvo’s electric bus depot in Arendal, Sweden. The combination of Volvo Electric Hybrids and ABB’s automatic e-bus chargers in the Luxembourg public transport system is the second joint project of ABB and Volvo Buses. Potentially 12 Volvo electric hybrid buses operated by Sales-Lentz will be running on existing public bus lines in Luxembourg.

The opening of this first fast-charging bus station and the deployment of the first 6 electric hybrid buses represents the starting point of the electrification of public transport. Full battery electric buses will also be used on other bus routes in the near future. These buses will help to dramatically reduce the emissions of public transport and will thereby help to improve the environmental impact of public transport.

—François Bausch, Minister for Sustainable Development and Infrastructure in Luxembourg

Sales-Lentz, the leading bus operator in the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, was already the world launch customer for Volvo hybrid buses in 2009, Volvo electric hybrid buses in May this year and will be the first customer for Volvo full electric buses in May 2017. Its fleet of 500 vehicles enables it to meet all types of transportation requirements, from the most straightforward personal mobility request to organized trips as well as transport for the public, schools, events and group travel.

The quiet and clean Volvo 7900 Electric Hybrid buses are designed for zero-emission areas and silent or safety zones and can run about seven kilometers in quiet, emission-free operation. They create possibilities to open new routes and stops in areas that were not possible before. The buses extend their reach and flexibility when needed with a small diesel engine.

On a city bus route of 10 kilometers, compared to a diesel bus Euro 6, the Volvo hybrids reduce energy consumption by about 60%, with 75-90% lower CO₂ emissions (depending upon the fuel used).