Italy’s industrial capital, Milan, plans to replace its 1,200 diesel buses with electric vehicles by 2030. Public transport agency ATM (Azienda Trasporti Milanesi) chose electronics giant ABB to deliver a turnkey charging solution for its San Donato depot, the first of four fully electrical depots planned for the city and a pilot site for new charging solutions.

ABB’s Terra 124 chargers have been installed in the depot’s parking area. One charger can fast-charge two vehicles at the same time, optimizing installation cost. The e-buses are scheduled to charge during the night when energy costs are lower. Milan’s e-buses, which have a range of up to 180 km, can remain in use all day without the need for interim charging.

As the pilot charging site is focused on using the most innovative and energy-efficient solutions, ABB’s package included the installation of a 324 kWh battery system, or Energy Storage Solution (ESS). The ESS allows ATM to manage its grid consumption, and enables the simulation of potential second-life use cases for bus battery packs.

ABB’s EV Site Solution (EVSS) controller optimizes the ESS recharging process while minimizing energy demand, and reduces operating costs by controlling peak consumption in real time. The ABB Ability Connected Services Portfolio of digital solutions allows remote diagnosis and management of the chargers.

“As transit operators face energy challenges for the full electrification of their fleets, they need holistic solutions which can enable new energy management capabilities and potential future second-life use cases for their electric bus battery packs,” said Frank Muehlon, President of ABB’s E-mobility Division. “ABB has provided a complete, end-to-end charging infrastructure solution for ATM which enables full connectivity and cloud computing, as well as creating an impressive blueprint for the future rollout of similar solutions for other transit operators.”

Source: ABB