ABB Wins First Commercial Order for Breakthrough 15-Second Flash Charging Technology to Enable Emission-Free Public Transport in Geneva

Revolutionary technology requires no overhead lines and offers silent
and zero-emission mass transit solution as a viable alternative to
diesel buses, providing a model for future urban transportation

ZURICH–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ABB has been awarded orders totaling more than $16 million by Transports
Publics Genevois (TPG), Geneva’s public transport operator, and Swiss
bus manufacturer HESS, to provide flash charging and on-board electric
vehicle technology for 12 TOSA (Trolleybus Optimisation Système
Alimentation) fully electric buses (e-buses) which will run on Line 23,
connecting Geneva’s airport with suburban Geneva. The e-buses can help
save as much as 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year, when compared
with existing diesel buses.

ABB will deliver and deploy 13 flash-charging stations along an urban
transit bus route, as well as three terminal and four depot feeding
stations. This will be the world’s fastest flash-charging connection
technology taking less than 1 second to connect the bus to the charging
point. The onboard batteries can then be charged in 15 seconds with a
600-kilowatt boost of power at the bus stop. A further 4 to 5 minute
charge at the terminus at the end of the line enables a full recharge of
the batteries. The innovative technology was developed by ABB engineers
in Switzerland.

“We are proud of this breakthrough technology to support Geneva’s vision
of providing a silent and zero-emission urban mass transportation for
the city. It provides a model for future urban transport and reinforces
our vision of sustainable mobility for a better world” said Claudio
Facchin, President of ABB’s Power Grids division. “As part of our Next
Level strategy, we are committed to developing customer-focused
solutions and technologies that help lower environmental impact.”

The decision to deploy TOSA on Line 23 was undertaken after the
successful pilot of the first such e-bus on the route from Geneva
airport to the Palexpo exhibition center. The Line 23 bus route will be
slightly modified in order to provide a fast connection to
Praille-Acacias-Vernet, a new suburb being built to accommodate 11,000
flats and office space for about 11,000 employees. When fully
commissioned in 2018, the high-capacity articulated buses will depart
from both terminuses at 10-minute intervals during peak times. The line
carries more than 10,000 passengers a day and the replacement of diesel
buses by TOSA e-buses reduces noise as well as greenhouse gas emissions.

As part of a separate award by HESS, ABB will supply 12 flexible
drivetrain solutions for the buses including integrated traction and
auxiliary converters, roof-mounted battery units and energy transfer
systems (ETS), as well as permanent magnet traction motors. Both
contracts include five-year maintenance and service agreements to ensure
operational reliability, efficiency and safety.

“The deployment of TOSA on Line 23 is the result of the collaborative
efforts of the public and private sector partners who invested in this
vision. This innovative project opens the way for the future of
mobility, by providing a sustainable and environmentally-friendly mass
transport solution for the well-being of our community,” said Luc
Barthassat, Geneva’s State Councilor for Transport and Environment.

Geneva is one of the world’s leading cities, recognized as a global
center of diplomacy, a financial hub and a technology and innovation
center. It is also a popular tourist destination with a high quality of
life. It hosts the highest number of international organizations in the
world, including global headquarters of institutions like the United
Nations and the Red Cross.

ABB provides a range of technologies to support mobility applications
such as railways, metros and electric buses and vehicles. Transportation
and Infrastructure is one of the three customer groups, served by ABB
alongside utilities and industry, and sustainable mobility is a key
focus area within ABB’s Next Level strategy.

ABB is celebrating 125 years of its legacy in Switzerland and has been
actively involved in the transportation sector including rail. As a
recent example, ABB technologies are helping to power and ventilate the
recently commissioned 57 km Gotthard base tunnel through the Alps – the
world’s longest railway tunnel.

ABB (www.abb.com)
is a leading global technology company in power and automation that
enables utility, industry, and transport & infrastructure customers to
improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB
Group of companies operates in roughly 100 countries and employs about
135,000 people.

Contacts

Media Relations
ABB Ltd
Saswato Das, Antonio Ligi, Sandra
Wiesner, Markus Gamper
Tel: +41 43 317 65 68
media.relations@ch.abb.com