Hinduja Group flagship Ashok Leyland and ABB Power Products today signed a pact to develop a pilot electric bus based on flash-charge technology which allows charging of the battery within seconds.
The technology helps avoid the need to pull the e-vehicle out of service for recharging every few hours thereby minimizing the size of the fleet while increasing passenger carrying capacity.
“The aim is to provide a zero local emission mass public transportation bus system with high passenger capacity. We are pleased to be working with Ashok Leyland in advancing responsible urban mobility,” said N Venu, Managing Director, ABB Power Products and Systems India Ltd.
The government is working on a target to achieve 30 per cent penetration of electric vehicles by 2030. Battery operated buses face the twin challenges of maximising passenger carrying capacity and running time.
Under the agreement, Ashok Leyland, the country’s largest bus manufacturer and the fourth-largest manufacturer of buses in the world, will develop electric buses with ABB’s TOSA flash-charging technology along with operational support and service.
During implementation of the technology, the bus is connected to the charging infrastructure at selected bus stops and the batteries are charged within 15 seconds with a 600-kilowatt power boost. An additional few minutes’ charge at the final terminal enables a full recharge without interrupting the bus schedule.
Under the agreement, ABB Power Grids business in India will be responsible for planning, design, engineering installation and commissioning of the charging system while Ashok Leyland will manufacture and supply electrics buses compatible with TOSA technology.
