ABB charges electric buses in just 20 seconds

The electric buses from Carrosserie Hess AG do not require a trolley wire or overhead line, but instead draw electricity from a battery for their electric drive. And thanks to a fast-charging technology from ABB, the buses can charge in just 20 seconds. 

According to a statement, it takes less than one second to connect the bus to a charging point on an overhead high-power charging contact when it pulls into selected bus stops, and the bus tops up its batteries while passengers embark and disembark.  

The articulated electric buses are the first of their kind in the world. The first bus went into service on Tuesday on bus line 23, and the complete fleet of 12 emission-free buses connects the airport to the suburbs of Geneva.

Geneva’s current fleet of diesel buses will be fully phased out by 2025. According to ABB, the new system can save Geneva’s transport authorities as much as 1,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide on a line covering 600,000 km per year.

Carrosserie Hess AG and ABB both come from the Greater Zurich Area. One of Europe’s leading bus manufacturers, Carrosserie Hess collaborates with different partners, including the Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, to develop e-buses. ABB is a leading global technology company with various focus areas, including electrification products, robotics, drive systems and industrial automation.