ABB powers the future for sustainable transport

This story first appeared in the December issue of EVtalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE

While ABB New Zealand anticipates its first Terra High Power Electric Vehicle Charger project, the company is excited about its recent success in Australia.

ABB was selected by Chargefox as a key technology partner and supplier for its ultra-rapid charging network. ABB’s Terra High Power (HP) electric vehicle chargers have enabled the launch of Australia’s first liquid-cooled charging station.

Chargefox, which plans to build a government-backed network of EV charging stations connecting major cities in Australia to make long trips as feasible for EVs as for fossil-fueled vehicles, has opened its first site in Euroa, Victoria, on the Hume Highway, some 160km north-east of Melbourne.

The site features two of ABB’s most technologically advanced high-speed chargers, the Terra HP. The 350kW Terra HP charging stations are the first with liquid-cooled cables to be installed in Australia.

These are capable of delivering up to 400km of range in 15 minutes, making them the fastest of any charger deployed across the country. The Chargefox ultra-rapid network will extend to 21 sites to be launched before 2020.

The second Chargefox site, which will also feature two 350kW Terra HP chargers, is planned for Barnawartha North, near Albury and will be deployed before the end of 2019.

The addition of a further two high power charge stations on the main corridor between Melbourne and regional Victoria will dramatically reduce charging time for drivers travelling interstate.

“ABB is proud to collaborate with Chargefox and its partners on this innovative venture, the first of its kind in Australia, and to be able to assist in deploying the first of the new generation of high-power charging stations in Asia Pacific,” ABB EV charging infrastructure managing director Frank Muehlon says.

“Australia has set itself some ambitious carbon reduction targets and we are delighted that our pioneering charging technology can assist in driving the increased adoption of electric vehicles and the resultant benefits for the environment.”

ABB’S Terra HP chargers employ the combined charging system (CCS) charging format, one of the main industry standards.

They can also support the Chademo DC fast charging standard enabling them to charge all electric vehicles available on the market and those soon to be released on to the local market.

The Terra HP also benefits from the ABB Ability Connected Services digital networking suite portfolio, linking the charging station to payment platforms and smart grid systems. The cloud-based ABB Ability connection also enables smart trip planning for travellers by indicating where the next recharge stop will be.

“When choosing hardware for the first Chargefox ultra-rapid sites, we were really looking for a solution that was flexible, straightforward to install and met approval requirements from relevant bodies,” Chargefox charging manager Evan Beaver says.

“ABB’s Terra HP fast charging solution met this brief, with the additional benefit of ABB’s equipment being well-known and trusted by network operators.
“ABB is at the forefront of EV technology, with their Terra HP chargers suitable for all types of electric vehicles on the market today. We are confident this technology will also ensure we are future ready as Australia’s EV market grows.”

As a world leader in EV infrastructure, ABB offers the full range of charging solutions for electric cars, electric and hybrid buses as well as electrification solutions for ships and railways.

ABB entered the EV-charging market in 2010, and today has a fast-growing global installed base of 8000 ABB DC chargers, including high power chargers up to 350kW, installed across 68 countries, more chargers than any other manufacturer.

Fortune Magazine recently ranked ABB at No 8 on its list of companies that are “changing the world” for the advances it has made in e-mobility and EV charging.

As a signatory to the Paris Agreement on climate change, Australia has set a target of reducing carbon emissions by 26% by 2030. At 1.7% growth rate, Australia’s population expands at double the rate of the United States and the United Kingdom.

This means every year 407,000 people are added to the Australian transportation system, which relies on costly oil imports. If Australia extensively adapts to an electric-powered mobility system, it can eliminate 16 million barrels of imported oil every year by 2030, according to research led by the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC).

ABB is a pioneering technology leader in power grids, electrification products, industrial automation and robotics and motion, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport and infrastructure globally.

Continuing a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB today is writing the future of industrial digitalisation with two clear value propositions; bringing electricity from any power plant to any plug and automating industries from natural resources to finished products.

As title partner in ABB Formula E, the fully electric international FIA motorsport class, ABB is pushing the boundaries of e-mobility to contribute to a sustainable future. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 147,000 employees.

Visit abb.com for more information.