The charging station, installed at the bus route termination by Bertrange railway station, has been designed to fully charge the new buses in three to six minutes, delivering 150kW of power (upgradeable to 300kW and 450kW).
“Today’s inauguration is a proof of Luxembourg’s efforts to create a sustainable environment, with a zero emission urban bus system”, comments Volvo Buses president Håkan Agnevall.
Volvo’s 7900 electric hybrid buses can be powered by electricity for up to 70 % of their operating time. They are claimed to be 60 % more energy efficient than equivalent diesel buses.
Equipped with an electric motor, batteries and a significantly down-sized diesel engine, these electric hybrids also cut CO2 emissions by 75—90 %.
Luxembourg was one of the first countries in Europe to implement hybrid technology buses, starting in 2009, with the first Volvo hybrids.
Today, 41 Volvo 7900 Hybrids operate in Luxemburg.
Sales-Lentz will be the first customer t operate Volvo full-electric buses, with operation due to start in May 2017.