ABB said it has demonstrated the technology in Geneva. (Representational Image)

Swiss power major ABB has said it is looking at bringing to India its flash charging product which can top up electric bus battery in 17 seconds at stops while on the go. Although it did not provide any timeline for launching the product, the company said it is keen to do so in line with India’s push for electric mobility. ABB Group CEO and President Ulrich Spiesshofer said at a recent interactive event that the company is bringing its wide range of e-mobility charging solutions, including flash chargers for buses as also the world’s leading fast chargers for cars which can charge electric automobiles for 200 km in 8 minutes. He told PTI that the ABB will look at bringing the technology to India and localise it, like in other markets, to make it cost effective.

Early this year, ABB placed a fast charging station at NITI Aayog and on his recent visit to Delhi last month Spiesshofer discussed advanced manufacturing and e-mobility with the NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant. On using demand aggregation method in India by procurers to bring down the costs further, he said this could be one of the ways to help the country further bring down the cost of e-mobility charging solutions.

ABB President, Europe and Member of the Group Executive Committee, Frank Duggan said, “There are lots of opportunities in India…in transmission of power, renewables, distribution network, industry and e-mobility.” On localisation of expensive charing solutions, Duggan said: “Yeah, that is why we were so successful in solar, when we were one of the first to localise in India in solar invertor. “That is why we have such a strong position. There is no doubt in India that (if) we will to be successful in India, (then) we will localise the chargers in India.”

He said that ABB has “very big investment programme every year in India..investment in assets, people and developing technology. More than 30 per cent of our turnover in India is exports.” The localisation helps to reduce the cost of products because domestic vendors supply the same equipment at a much lower cost than imports. ABB has a full range of flash-charging as well as terminus and depot feeding stations. Its 50kW fast charging station can provide a full charge to an electric vehicle in only 30 minutes.

ABB said it has demonstrated the technology in Geneva. The flash-charging stations at selected bus stops, provide a short high-power boost charge while passengers are getting on and off the bus.

The terminus feeding stations deliver longer charges during the waiting times. The depot feeding stations deliver a longer, lower-power charge to compensate the energy required between the operating line and depot location. The charging infrastructure is complemented by network management systems, bus route system studies – to ensure optimal deployment of infrastructure.