US E-Mobility Transformation in Focus at ABB Formula E Season Finale
July 25, 2019
The ABB FIA Formula E Championship landed in New York City, for its double-header Season 5 finale, highlighting ABB’s e-mobility efforts in the US..
Only weeks ago, ABB confirmed its role in electrifying the iconic Maid of the Mist passenger boats that ferry 1.6 million passengers to the base of the Niagara Falls every year. Two new Maid of the Mist vessels, powered entirely by high-capacity battery packs and currently being built in New York State, will become the first ever all-electric vessels to be constructed in the US.
As a result of the zero-emission technology, their passengers will be able to experience Niagara Falls undisturbed by noise, vibration or exhaust fumes for the first time. Each of the vessels will be powered by a pair of battery packs with a total capacity of 316 kWh, charged using ABB ship-to-shore connection in only seven minutes between trips.
In Portland, Oregon, an electric bus powered by wind-generated electricity has been in service since April and is a bold step in the ambition of the city’s transport operator, TriMet to run a non-diesel bus fleet by 2040.
Under TriMet’s pilot scheme, five New Flyer Xcelsior CHARGETM electric buses will run along a 13-mile route, with 700 feet of elevation change, with the aim for all-electric buses to be rolled out across the company’s full network system in the near future.
ABB 450kW opportunity-charging or ‘OppCharge’ technology has been installed on the route, using wind-powered electricity to make the buses fully sustainable in their daily operations. ABB 150kW sequential fast chargers are also installed in the bus depot for overnight charging.
America’s famously car-loving culture is also feeling the presence of advanced ABB technology: its Terra HP fast chargers are being used under the Electrify America program, which is investing $2 billion over 10 years in Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) infrastructure, education and access. The ambitious project aims to place chargers along highway routes at intervals of no more than 120 miles (195 kilometers), thus removing ‘range anxiety’ for EV owners. Electrify America has already deployed hundreds of charging stations within and around 17 major metropolitan markets across the country.
EVgo, another major EV charging network operator, has worked with ABB since 2013 and now operates hundreds of ABB fast-charging stations in more than 60 US metropolitan areas. As EVgo’s network has grown, ABB has developed a support structure and service organization, coupled with EVgo’s operations, which keeps chargers reliable, helps to build consumer confidence in EV ownership, and ultimately boosts EV adoption – all in line with ABB’s strategic goals for delivering sustainable transport solutions across the US.
Watch a video on the event HERE
