Volvo hybrid 
milestone

Volvo Buses has secured its largest ever order for complete solutions for electric bus traffic. The Belgian cities of Charleroi and Namur have together ordered 90 Volvo 7900 Electric Hybrid buses as well as 12 charging stations. The order from operator TEC Group covers 55 buses for Charleroi and another 35 buses for Namur. ABB will supply four charging stations to Charleroi and eight for Namur. Delivery and installation will get under way this autumn. After the delivery, the TEC Group will have ordered in total 101 Volvo electric hybrids and 15 ABB charging stations. Volvo’s electric hybrids and ABB’s fast charging systems are based on a common interface known as OppCharge, whereby the charging stations can also be used by electrified buses from other vehicle manufacturers.

Speaking to B&CB, a Volvo spokesperson said, ‘This is a very significant order for the Belgian bus market, not only because of the volume but it is also significant because it includes the fast charging infrastructure in both Namur and Charleroi. It is also the first large order for the Volvo 7900 model on the Belgian market and I see it as a recognition for the hard work delivered by our Volvo Bus team in Belgium. This deal confirms that our electric hybrid can be deployed in large volumes in Belgium and thereby also in other countries in Europe. It is a confirmation of our concept, which is compatible with the open standard for fast charging (OppCharge) So I am convinced that others seeing this order will be convinced that this concept can be deployed in their cities as well.’

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