ABB’s Electrification Products division has won a series of three orders to deliver its state-of-the-art fast-charging systems to customers in Europe and North America.

The orders are for OppCharge charging stations, which are configured to operate with all-electric or hybrid-electric vehicles manufactured by Volvo Buses.

To power what will be the largest single network of electric buses and bus-charging stations in Europe, Volvo Buses placed the largest order, an additional 12 bus charging systems. These will be used in Charleroi, Belgium and will be combined with the three ABB systems that have already been installed. They will power 101 Volvo hybrid-electric buses serving the Wallonia public transport system once installation is complete in 2018.

ABB has also received its first order in Sweden for a bus-charging system on a commercial line, a fast-charger for buses ordered by Värnamo Municipality through the municipality’s utility subsidiary, Värnamo Elnät.

Novabus, the North American division of Volvo Buses, also announced recently that it would collaborate with the ABB for delivery of the first ABB electric bus charger in North America. This will be used in Montreal as a demonstration of the technology for transit systems in the region.

Finally, Luxembourg City’s central station commissioned two fast-chargers for hybrid-electric buses late last week, to be put into service with five hybrid-electric buses from Volvo.

ABB’s state-of-the-art charging stations are capable of charging full-size hybrid-electric and all-electric buses in just three to six minutes during a layover at the bus routes end points.

The technology is based on the OppCharge open-standards interface, which makes it possible to use charging stations with electric buses from different manufacturers to avoid compatibility problems.