“The start of operations with the Volvo 7900 Electric marks yet another important step for all of us who work for a cleaner, quieter urban environment and more attractive public transport. Together with Differdange and Sales-Lentz we are in the vanguard of next-generation public transport,” says Håkan Agnevall, President of Volvo Buses.
Differdange’s focus on electrically powered buses is part of the city’s ambitious sustainability drive, with public transport forming a crucial focus area. The four electric buses are used on four routes with length from 8 to 9.5 km. Each bus is driven approximately 25 minutes, then the buses’ batteries are fast-charged in three to six minutes at the end stations using an open interface known as OppCharge (opportunity charging), which follows the ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers Association) recommendations. The charging stations in Differdange were supplied by Heliox.
“Full electric was the next logical step after electric-hybrid, ahead in our strategy for sustainable urban mobility. We are excited to have done this turn-around in exactly 9 months with a very strong team formed of Volvo Gothenburg, Volvo Competence Center in Luxembourg, the city of Differdange, Heliox, ElectroWatt, Sales-Lentz technical department, and several other strong partners”, says Jos Sales, Director Sales-Lentz.
In addition to the all-electric Volvo 7900 Electric, the Volvo Buses range of electrified vehicles includes hybrid buses and electric hybrid buses (plug-in hybrids). All told, the company has sold more than 3300 electrified Volvo buses globally.
