Hitachi Energy successfully deployed a centralized, multi-vehicle electric bus charging solution for Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC), the public transit agency in the greater Québec City area. The technology was selected to be tested as part of a pilot project in 2022 following a call for tender won by Hitachi Energy.

The three-year project represents an important step toward the ultimate electrification of the RTC’s entire bus fleet and infrastructure. The pilot is also providing valuable data on the best strategies for charging large numbers of vehicles.

The technology selected for the pilot is Hitachi Energy’s Grid-eMotion Fleet solution, an integrated charging system that can deliver multi-megawatt level charging capabilities tailored to the demanding requirements of urban bus fleets. The system requires 60% less space than conventional charging systems and a 40% decrease in required depot cabling. This grid-to-plug solution has been deployed in sustainable transport projects at some of the biggest urban bus systems in the world, including London, UK; Berlin, Germany; Västerås, Sweden; and Brisbane, Australia.

Grid-eMotion Fleet solution charging an electric bus at RTC garage

The project supports the Québec provincial government’s plan to electrify 55% of its urban buses and 65% of its school buses by 2030.

One of the key goals of the project is to explore different fleet charging strategies in an active bus terminal, including traditional plugs, as well as overhead pantograph systems.

Typically, bus terminals in urban environments are space-constrained and were not designed for electric buses, which require compact, scalable, and space-saving systems. Hitachi Energy’s Grid-eMotion Fleet technology can provide public transit agencies with much-needed flexibility to address the unique needs of each facility. Hitachi Energy’s solution has been tested at RTC’s Metrobus Center and is expected to run at full capacity in 2024.

Grid-eMotion. Grid-eMotion comprises two unique, innovative solutions: Fleet and Flash. Grid-eMotion Fleet is a grid-code-compliant and space-saving grid-to-plug charging solution that can be installed in new and existing bus depots. The charging solution can be scaled flexibly as the fleet gets bigger and greener. It includes different charging points configurations and a robust and compact grid connection directly at the distribution level. The system is also available for commercial vehicle fleets, including last-mile delivery and heavy-duty trucks that require high-power charging of several megawatts.

Grid-eMotion Flash enables operators to flash-charge buses within seconds at passenger stops and fully recharge within minutes at the route terminus without interrupting the bus schedule.

Both solutions are equipped with configurable smart charging digital platforms that can be embedded with larger fleet and energy management systems. Additional offerings from Hitachi Energy for EV charging systems consist of e-mesh energy management and optimization solutions and Lumada APM, EAM and FSM solutions to help transportation operators make informed decisions that maximize their uptime and improve efficiency.