Earlier this year, Hitachi ABB Power Grids signed a memorandum of understanding with Yinlong Energy, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of electric buses, to help cities speed up their transition to emission-free electric bus transportation and cleaner city air.
By combining their technology leadership and expertise, the two companies will offer customers an optimized e-mobility solution comprising Hitachi ABB Power Grids’ Grid-eMotion Fleet and Flash charging infrastructure for public transportation and commercial vehicles and Yinlong’s comprehensive portfolio of electric city buses.
Initially, the two companies will focus their resources on helping cities in the Middle East achieve their urban e-mobility and emission-reduction ambitions, before extending their joint offering to China and the rest of the world. Both the charging infrastructure and the buses meet the challenging climate and operating conditions of the region, where buses require large amounts of power for air conditioning and the charging infrastructure must withstand intense heat and even sandstorms.
Among the first of these partnerships is with UAE-based Emirates Global Motor Electric (EGME), part of Al Fahim Group and the regional distributor of Yinlong energy for the Middle East and Africa, to support the electric mobility initiatives in Abu Dhabi. With this collaboration, EGME expands its role for the Middle East and Africa as the regional distributor of Yinlong’s e-mobility coupled with smart charging solutions from Hitachi Energy.
The electric bus initiative is aligned with Abu Dhabi Government’s strategy to strengthen the electric transportation sector and helping them to achieve their climate ambitions. It will pave the way for a quieter, emission-free, full-electric mobility solutions to run on the streets of Abu Dhabi and other cities all over the region.
As part of the collaboration between these companies, Hitachi Energy will provide its Grid-eMotion smart charging solution specifically developed for public transport and commercial vehicles. The modular and scalable system includes a digital platform to support efficient energy and fleet management. The companies are also working together to create a technology hub in the region to showcase e-mobility solutions for the Middle East and Africa.
Dr. Mostafa AlGuezeri, managing director of Hitachi Energy for the UAE, Gulf, Near East and Pakistan, said: “We are honoured to be part of this initiative as we are committed to advancing sustainable mobility. We strongly believe in the future of electricity as the backbone of the entire energy system to accelerate sustainable economic growth and to enhance circular economy.”
“The move to green transportation is also complimentary to the larger goals set by the UAE to work towards a carbon-neutral future. With the UAE set to host COP28 in 2023, Hitachi Energy’s commitment to mitigate climate change and integrate more renewables into the grid is more and more evident. We are well positioned to tackle the transportation industry’s biggest challenge and support the different pathways operators need to take to support the development of societies,” he added.
Bilal AlRibi, general manager, Al Fahim Commercial vehicles, said: “We are pleased to have Hitachi Energy as our global technology partner who can support the infrastructure needs of our customers and partners. The Grid-eMotion will be a part of the unique and comprehensive solutions provided to the customers in the Middle East and Africa. This smart charging system will additionally allow us to maximize our operations. E-mobility is the future of transportation, and we feel privileged to be part of this journey towards a more sustainable future. This initiative also advances digital transformation in the UAE’s transportation segment. Yinlong’s battery system has successfully demonstrated its full readiness and performance for operations in extreme conditions after two years of extensive testing under harsh Middle Eastern conditions. We are ready for a full rollout in various sectors seeking net- zero objectives with electric mobility.”
A ‘grid-to-plug’ solution for public transport and commercial fleets
Grid charging infrastructure is the key to keeping electric buses running for as long as possible each day, without having to take them off the road for recharging and deploy replacement buses and drivers, which increases operating costs significantly.
Grid-eMotion comprises two solutions – Fleet and Flash. Grid-eMotion Fleet is a grid-code compliant and space-saving grid-to-plug charging solution that can be installed in existing depots and scaled flexibly as the fleet gets greener. Grid-eMotion Flash enables operators to flash-charge buses within seconds at passenger stops and fully recharge within minutes at the route terminus, without interrupting the bus schedule.
Grid-eMotion Fleet uses DC technology and can connect to any type of power network, removing the complexities of integrating AC-DC chargers into a system. Compared to a conventional connection to the AC grid, this advanced solution brings a 60 percent reduction in space required for large-scale EV fleet charging, whilst the depot cabling is reduced by 40 percent. The solution leverages Hitachi ABB Power Grids’ smart energy management solution e-mesh EMS to manage and enhance the complete charging infrastructure, calculate bus energy consumption and devise, plan and deliver effective services for passengers. Digital analysis monitors the battery life data, route data, traffic simulation and depot control to ensure that efficient power use, energy storage and overnight charging is optimized.
Grid-eMotion Flash allows for ultra-fast charging at intermediate stops optimizing operational cost and availability for fleet operators. This charging system is viable for urban mass transit, making catenaries, large and heavy batteries, range and schedule limitations as well as greenhouse gas and noise emissions a thing of the past. Hitachi Energy has developed and optimized its flash-charging technology and onboard traction equipment for high-frequency and high-capacity bus routes. By selecting the appropriate technologies and ensuring optimal energy management, the system can save as much as 1,000 tons of CO2 on a bus line covering approximately 600,000 kilometers per year. In addition, the e-bus’ energy costs are 30 percent below those of a diesel bus.
Grid-eMotion solutions are already operating or under development in the Middle East, Europe, Australia, China, India and Pakistan. Recently, Hitachi ABB Power Grids won an order to supply its Grid-eMotion Fleet smart-charging infrastructure solution to Västerås, one of Sweden’s largest cities, enabling it to sustainably expand its electric bus fleet. Hitachi ABB Power Grids will provide a grid-to-plug, modular, scalable and compact system for charging fleets of electric vehicles. The order includes the charging infrastructure connected to the grid and a digital control system to monitor fleet charging.
Additional offerings from Hitachi Energy for EV charging systems consist of emeshTM energy management and optimization solutions and Lumada APM, EAM and FSM solutions, to help transportation operators make informed decisions that maximize their uptime and improve efficiency.