ABB and Nova Bus announce collaboration on electric transportation

February 9, 2017 Partners
ABB and Nova Bus announce collaboration on electric transportation

February 9, 2017 – Montréal, QC: ABB, an engineering company specializing in automotive energy technologies and Nova Bus, the North American buses manufacturer and division of Volvo Buses, announced today a business collaboration that consists of the delivery of the first ABB’s electric bus opportunity charger in North America. This collaboration reflects the desire of Nova Bus to keep investing in climate action by offering charging stations and electrified bus solutions to major cities in the United States and Canada.

“Transportation can be one of the biggest contributors to climate change. Supporting Nova Bus with ABB’s innovative charging solution will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions” explains Derek Monk, General Manager, ABB in Canada. “We’re thrilled to collaborate with Volvo Buses, it represents a major step in the advancement of electric buses in public transit in North America and it will be the first ABB electric bus opportunity charging station in the Americas.”

ABB already has opportunity charging systems for e-buses in operation in Europe and to now include North America as reference for the DC fast charger is a defining moment. The order from Nova Bus comprises one (1) complete 300 kW modular common interface charging system with inverted pantograph technology and commissioning from the new ABB Campus in Montréal.

The ABB DC fast charger, with the associated systems, is based on the common interface, which allows charging stations and electrified buses from different manufacturers to be used together and only takes three to four minutes to charge the batteries at the charging station. Electric bus systems based on the OppCharge interface is being implemented in more than 12 countries.

“We are very pleased to collaborate with ABB, an international leader in the fields of energy and automation. The acquisition of this new technology at our Plattsburgh assembly facility is part of our vision for the electrification of transportation and sustainable mobility. Ultimately, our goal is to always provide our US based customers the most reliable sustainable transit buses in the industry”, declared Ralph Acs, Senior Vice-president Region Americas for Volvo Buses and President of Nova Bus.

“This sign of confidence from Nova Bus is reinforcing ABB’s commitment to sustainable mobility and is fully aligned with our recent announcement to establish our North American Center for excellence for e-mobility in the new ABB Campus in Montréal” explains Daniel Simounet, Vice-President of transportation sector, ABB Americas. “We are now looking at widespread innovation in cooperation with local and regional partners in order to accelerate the deployment of energy efficient electrification infrastructure for electrical cars, buses and trains.”

The demo e-bus and charging infrastructure from Nova Bus is scheduled to travel across the USA in the Fall of 2017 and encourage transit authorities to jump on board; contributing to the electrification of urban transit.
Since 2010, ABB has sold approximately 5,000 fast chargers around the world for passenger cars and electric buses. Utilization of technology that comprises cloud-based remote monitoring and control as well as program upgrades via Internet guarantees quick response times and a high degree of availability.

More information: http://new.abb.com/ev-charging

About ABB
ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids serving customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure globally. For more than four decades, ABB is writing the future of industrial digitalization. With more than 70 million devices connected through its installed base of more than 70,000 control systems across all customer segments, ABB is ideally positioned to benefit from the Energy and Fourth Industrial Revolution. With a heritage of more than 130 years, ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 135,000 employees. www.abb.com

About Nova Bus and Volvo Buses
Nova Bus is a leading provider of sustainable transit solutions in North America. Its portfolio includes hybrid electric buses, high-capacity vehicles and integrated intelligent transportation systems. For more information regarding Nova Bus products and services, please visit www.novabus.com. Volvo Buses (http://www.volvobuses.com) is a globally leading bus manufacturer with a strong focus on vehicles and systems that promote long-term sustainable public transit. Volvo Buses and Nova Bus are part of Volvo Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trucks, buses and construction equipment, as well as drive systems for marine and industrial applications.

More information about: www.oppcharge.org

About Nova Bus

Nova Bus is a leading provider of sustainable transit solutions in North America. Its portfolio includes hybrid electric buses, high-capacity vehicles and integrated intelligent transportation systems. Following its Electro MobilityTM strategy, Nova Bus is moving forward with the electrification of its vehicle key components to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Nova Bus is part of the Volvo Group. For more information regarding Nova Bus products and services, please visit www.novabus.com.