volvo sweden

CASE STUDY › VOLVO ELECTRICITY

G othenburg’s first route for electric buses opened on June 15. The buses are silent, emission-free and run on electricity from wind power and hydropower.

Route 55 has three completely electrically driven buses and seven electric hybrid buses, all from Volvo Buses and operated by Keolis. The buses on the route, which runs from Chalmers Johanneberg to Chalmers Lindholmen, through the centre of Gothenburg, are equipped with onboard WiFi and USB points.

The buses run on batteries that are quickly recharged with renewable electricity at the terminal stops. The Chalmers Lindholmen stop has an indoor terminal, which is made possible by the fact that the buses are silent and emission-free.

“The Volvo Group aims to be the world leader in sustainable transport solutions. A unique collaboration in Gothenburg enables us to launch the electric bus route here and remain a leader in the development of future public transport,” said Niklas Gustafsson, Chief Sustainability Officer of Volvo Group.

The turnkey approach means that the customer drives the buses, while Volvo Buses takes care of the rest. Together with global partners Siemens and ABB, the company is able to offer complete solutions for the electric

infrastructure, including smart conductive charging. Volvo Buses can also team up with local partners for providing workshop, depot and traffic management.

Bus route 55 is a result of ElectriCity, a collaboration that develops, tests and demonstrates new, attractive sustainable collective transport for the future. In addition to the actual buses, ElectriCity develops and tests new bus stop systems, traffic management systems, safety concepts and energy supply systems.

“ElectriCity and route 55 are concrete proof of how Gothenburg is being developed into a denser, more sustainable and open city with attractive public spaces and a rich urban life.

“The project also demonstrates our ambition and strategy to attract expertise and investment that help reduce environmental impact and develop collaboration between authorities, industry and academia,” said Anneli Hulthén, Chair of the City Executive in Gothenburg.

It is hoped that the ElectriCity project will encourage use of public transport and prepare the way for more attractive public transport solutions in the Västra Götaland region.

ElectriCity is a collaboration between research, industry and society. It focuses on developing, demonstrating and evaluating sustainable public transport solutions.

electrifying

The launch of the ElectriCity project and Volvo’s electric concept bus was held in Gothenburg, Sweden on June 23-25, coinciding with the Volvo Ocean Race event. Jade Smith was there to ride the electric bus and find out more about the ElectriCity project

An

future

The collaboration is between Volvo Group, Region Västra Götaland, Västtrafik, the City of Gothenburg, Chalmers University of Technology, the Swedish Energy Agency, Johanneberg Science Park, Lindholmen Science Park, Business Region Göteborg, Göteborg Energi, Älvstranden Utveckling, Keolis, Akademiska Hus and Chalmersfastigheter.

Saving money and the environmentNiklas Gustafsson, Chief Sustainability Officer of Volvo Group presented Volvo Group’s approach to sustainability and the true cost of ownership. He went into detail on how Volvo approaches the challenges it faces in the sustainability area and looked at how to calculate the costs and true value when implementing sustainable transport solutions into society.

Volvo strives to be a leader in sustainable transport solutions. It wants to take the position of leadership in creating value for the customers it works with, pioneering products and by driving its core values – quality and safety –since the company was started in 1927. From 1972 the company added on the core value of environmental care.

Volvo says it is important that a company in the transport sector takes leadership because the biggest challenges the world is facing are directly and indirectly related to the transport industry.

The sustainable transport solutions model is made up of economical (high productivity in the transport system), environmental (energy efficiency and low emissions) and social (safe and secure transport solutions) factors. All

Niklas Gustafsson, Chief Sustainability Officer of Volvo Group. JADE SMITH

Jessica Sandström, SVP City Mobility at Volvo Buses. JADE SMITH

38 | COACH & BUS WEEK | July 7, 2015 www.coachandbusweek.com

038_042_CBW1196_Volvo Sweden.indd 38 06/07/2015 12:48

green products need to cover these areas.Niklas stated that ElectroMobility will

transform cities by:l Increasing city attractivenessl Growing through mobility by transporting

more people faster at lower costl Decreasing congestionl Increasing energy efficiency and securityl Reducing CO2 emissionsl Enabling smarter city planning with more

optimal land use for homes and commercial real estate

The true value of a city like Gothenburg embracing electric public transport has not been quantified before.

The key environmental and societal impacts of electric buses are air pollution, noise, travel time, Greenhouse Gas emissions and energy consumption.

Electric buses improve air and noise pollution, safety, energy efficiency and return on investment. Other factors are a reduction on congestion as well as decreasing travel time and increasing mobility with their low floors and wide doors.

Volvo estimates that if all buses in a city like Gothenburg were fully electric, it would save €11 million for society. Passengers would

save one million hours annually, 33,000 tons of CO2 emissions would be saved annually helping the global community and three million Euros would be saved annually on healthcare costs which is mainly due to the noise and air pollution reduction.

Further positive benefits from ElectriCity are innovation, city planning and mobility and accessibility.

Innovations cover open research and development platform and partnerships, advanced employee training and new business models.

Mobility and accessibility involves near noiseless traffic, increased mobility, passenger comfort and wellbeing and indoor bus stops.

City planning covers emission and noise-free vehicles, more optimal land use and higher real estate prices.

Traditional Total Cost of Ownership is made up of the costs of the garage, fuel/energy, drivers and lease costs. External costs include socioeconomic (e.g. noise), environmental (e.g. emissions) and tax incentives (e.g. subsidies). True Total Cost of Ownership includes all these factors.

An example Niklas provided was that due to the large doors on the electric buses an average

Volvo Electric Concept Bus

SPECIFICATION

Gearbox: Volvo 2-Speed Automated Manual TransmissionFront axle: Volvo RFS-LRear axle: ZF AV132GVW: 18,000kg

Steering wheel side: Centre positionPower steering: Electric driven hydraulic steeringKneeling: Standard

Electrical motor max output: 155kWTorque: 400NmEnergy storage system: Lithium-ion batteryVoltage: 600VCapacity: 4 x 19kWhFast Charge time: 6min/10km rangeFast Charge power: up to 300kWMaintenance charging (400 VAC): 4h/day

DIMENSIONSLength: 10,720mmWidth: 2,550mmHeight: 3,298mmWheelbase: 7,000mm

Volvo’s fully electric concept bus, seen here at the end of route 55 at Chalmers Lindholmen. JADE SMITH

www.coachandbusweek.com July 7, 2015 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 39

‘Volvo estimates that if all buses in a city like Gothenburg were fully electric, it would save €11 million for society’




of five seconds is saved per bus stop.Overall, Niklas said that an electric bus in

comparison to a conventional diesel bus saves €27,000 per year per bus in costs for society.

Jessica Sandström, SVP City Mobility at Volvo Buses outlined ElectriCity and how it is a visionary transport solution.

She began with the fact that by 2050 two thirds of the world’s population will be living in cities.

Volvo realised it needed to supply a complete electric system, not only the bus. The challenge to electrify a city is great, so to reduce that risk Volvo offers the complete system including charging stations as well as installation. The batteries will be provided according to the distance covered.

Opportunity charging is charging at end stops – Siemens and ABB were approached to develop charging stations and the buses will work with both types. This allows for more options with suppliers.

Jessica said that the future will be a mix of Hybrid, Electric Hybrid and Electric buses:

HYBRIDl 30-40% fuel reductionl Silent take-offl 40% less road emissions l Improved passenger capacity

ELECTRIC HYBRIDl 75% fuel and 60% energy reductionl Electrical drive 70% of routel Silentl 75% CO2 reduction, with green electricityl Charging six minutes at end stations

ELECTRICl 80% energy reductionl Electrical drive 100% of routel Silentl Minimum local exhaust emissionsl 100% CO2 reduction, with green electricityl Charging six minutes at end stations

Fully electric buses are best for city centres where they are travelling at a low speed and are in a restricted area. When a higher speed is needed, for example going into the suburbs to pick people up and then returning to the city centre, then the electric hybrid is a better solution.

There is a constant trade-off between how many batteries can be put on the bus and how many passengers can get on the bus. The electric hybrid is a good mix of the two and is more flexible.

For intercity traffic and longer distance the hybrid is the best. For coach traffic it will be diesel for quite some time, but with biofuel.

For example, route 55 connects the two campuses of Chalmers Johanneberg and Chalmers Lindholmen. It is 8km long and runs through the city centre. Charging takes place at the end stations and takes six minutes to charge 300kW. Seven electric hybrids run on this route as well as three electric buses.

Jessica also mentioned that route 55 which the fully electric buses run on is connected to the Chalmers campus so young people can get involved. She stressed the importance of retaining young people in the public transport

system in order to keep future generations involved.

Batteries and chargingThe new electric buses have bigger batteries than the electric hybrids, but they are the same specification. They are lithium-ion and have a capacity of 19kWh each, with the voltage being 600V.

As the electric bus doesn’t have a diesel engine, more batteries are needed than with the other types. The electric bus has four bigger batteries, the electric hybrid has one big battery and the hybrid has one small battery.

Each of the four batteries on the electric bus and the battery on the electric hybrid is 19kWh whilst the battery on the hybrid is 5.5kWh.

Heaters and active cooling is used to maintain the correct temperature for the batteries, which is 20-25˚C, the same climate for the passengers.

The Opportunity Charging System provides automatic charging of batteries in electric hybrids and full-electric buses. The system is designed to be part of ordinary bus stops.

Most buses have a couple of minutes rest at the end stations of their routes. This time is made useful by charging the battery of the electric hybrid driveline, hence the name

Opportunity Charging. This charging takes up to six minutes to charge 300kW so uptime is largely left undisturbed.

The charging station has a minimal impact on the bus stop. All control devices and electronics are gathered in a heavy-duty cabinet. Underground cabling connects it to the pylon where the charging contact device is mounted.

Charging starts automatically when the bus has stopped in the right position at the charging station. The charging interface reaches the bus from above, which is optimal in terms of safety. All moving parts are integrated in the pylon, while the contacts on the bus are fixed-mount. This minimises the need for additional maintenance on the vehicle.

The pantograph has been placed in the mast of the charging station to reduce the vehicle’s weight so it can carry more passengers. The moving parts are above the bus which is safer for passengers.

The charging station detects and informs the vehicle of the correct position for charging. The connection, start of charging and end of charging are all fully automatic. Charging ends either at full charge or when the vehicle needs to leave. Charging can be interrupted by the driver if needed.

The first charging station is at the beginning of the electric bus’ journey at Chalmers Johanneberg. JADE SMITH

LEFT: The second charge point is at the indoor bus stop at Chalmers Lindholmen. The doors close behind the bus to keep the climate regulated. JADE SMITH


www.coachandbusweek.com July 7, 2015 | COACH & BUS WEEK | 41

Embarking and disembarking of the vehicle is possible during the charging process and the bus cannot be driven whilst charging. An emergency stop can be made either from a stop signal from the vehicle or the signal device. The charging station will stop within 100ms. The same switch will work when the vehicle is not charging and will shut everything down in an emergency.

Safety precautions mean it is impossible to take the pin connected to the grid out when charging. Another safety system is a loop through all the components and connectors, which means if one connection is disturbed the system shuts down immediately.

Isolation monitoring checks that there are no currents or shortcuts out to the chassis or body and will also stop the system and shut everything down. All the batteries and components are connected to each other but not to the chassis or body of the vehicle.

In terms of opportunity charging versus overnight charging, in the beginning the preference was overnight charging, but after looking at it from the total lifecycle cost perspective and from the system perspective, it was decided that opportunity charging is the preferred option.

If there is a charging station and a bus appears every six minutes there is a very high utilisation degree of the station. For overnight charging there needs to be one charger for each bus, as opposed to the two chargers that are currently for the 10 buses running on route 55.

In opportunity charging the cost for electricity is lower as it is distributed throughout the day. High loads in a short time period usually cost more. A depot with 100 buses to charge will also cause a huge strain on the electricity grid – this will cost a lot to connect and the grid may have to be rebuilt.

However, specific space will have to be made for each electric bus at the depot as an overnight charge system is required for each bus. This is mainly to balance the cells to make sure they are the same wattage to ensure a long life for each battery. The maintenance charging uses very low energy consumption in comparison to regular charging and takes four hours per day using 400V. The electric bus and electric hybrid bus can use the same charging stations.

Indoor bus stopsAn indoor bus stop is weatherproof, quiet and clean, closer to passengers and can be a social meeting place.

During the Volvo Ocean Race event in Gothenburg from June 21-28, in collaboration with Gothenburg City Library, the electric buses operated to a specially-built indoor stop in Frihamnen, designed like a real library.

This was to showcase the possibilities provided by quiet, emission-free buses. The library enabled visitors to borrow books and tablets from Gothenburg City Library librarians – just like in a real library.

“Quiet, emission-free electric buses create new possibilities for public transport. With noise and air pollution out of the equation, the vehicles can get closer to where people are – even indoors. To show how this can work, we’ve constructed a temporary bus stop in the form of a library,” said Håkan Agnevall, President of Volvo Buses.

MariAnne Karlsson, a Professor at Chalmers University of Technology, highlighted the challenges that a cold, wet bus that drives into a heated space creates from a climate and energy perspective.

Chalmers will investigate how a comfortable indoor climate can be maintained and how energy use can be kept to a minimum.

MariAnne mentioned that the bus stop is more significant than it may seem as it is the

The four lithium-ion batteries can be seen here on the roof of the vehicle being worked on in the newly-built Volvo Bus Experience Center in Gothenburg




‘doorway’ into the public transport system. Making bus stops more attractive will increase the patronage on the buses themselves.

Insulated and quieter bus stops with access to power to charge devices could change people’s perceptions of public transport and may even make the bus stop a more social place to meet.

Passenger perspectiveThe electric buses stand out from the other traditional blue buses in Gothenburg as they are a light green. The exterior matches the interior’s welcoming feel.

Wide centrally-positioned doors and a low entry height make it easy to get on board and create efficient passenger flow.

The wide gangway allows for easier access and more room for standing passengers. Large windows increase the natural light and view out of the bus, making the vehicle feel open and light.

Inside the bus the passenger encounters an airy and bright décor. Right beside the door opening there is a large open space ideal for prams or a wheelchair. At the front of the bus there are several foldaway seats which can be tucked away and locked in the upright position when more space is needed for standing passengers. When there are fewer passengers they can be unlocked and used. This electric bus has a capacity of 86 passengers with 20 fixed seats and nine foldaway seats.

“In order to create a warm and spacious feeling inside, we have a white, arched acrylic roof with concealed lighting to provide soft, pleasant illumination,” said Dan

Frykholm, Design Director at Volvo Buses.The rest of the interior is coloured with

various shades of green. The colours reflect the electric bus’ environmental credentials and also match with the body’s green colour. The

graphics used are the same inside and out. The pattern, an urban silhouette to demonstrate the bus’ operational area, is repeated in the seat upholstery, which is a jacquard weave made from pure wool. The material feels strong and comfortable.

“We’ve aimed for a harmonious whole that makes for a pleasant atmosphere on board. Colours and patterns are fairly low-key, but if you look closely you’ll see that a whole lot of thought has gone into the tiniest details. Even the choice of material helps reinforce the experience.

“We’ve gone for sustainable quality all the way,” says Ingrid Karlsson, who designed the electric bus’ surface materials and textiles.

Ingrid continued: “Wool is a durable and authentic natural material that is attractive to look at and comfortable to sit on. It warms when the weather is cold, and it cools when it’s hot.

What’s more, it is practical and repels both moisture and dirt. It is eminently suitable in a bus designed for sustainable transports.”

The electric bus can travel 20km on a full charge, but is designed to be used on a 10km route. Average route length was found to be 10km which also provides a good balance of battery capacity and passenger capacity.

There are two charge points on the route – once at the beginning at Chalmers and again at Lindholmen – the bus can miss one charge point and still reach the other.

Sitting at the back of the bus the only sound was a faint electrical whirring and a slight rattling from the doors. The whirring was most noticeable when the bus started and when it was accelerating. The sound of the road was louder than the bus itself.

Overall the ride was quiet and smooth. Speaking with drivers, Volvo had found out that already the drivers prefer the quieter ride.

A large amount of big, distinctive stop buttons are dotted around the bus, easily accessible as both a standing and seated passenger.

USB charging points are located in the ceiling and by the wheelchair area, but they are few and far between with only specific seats able to take advantage of them.

The driver is in the middle of the bus and the driver’s seat swivels around so they can talk to

a passenger behind them if needed.Route 55 had audio

announcements as well as displays throughout the vehicle showing the next three

stops as well as the estimated time

to reach each one. Connecting bus and tram

routes are displayed next to each stop name. Other

digital displays are allocated throughout the bus above the

windows. The electric buses have speed

limitations according to which zone in the city they are in which ensures they

never exceed the speed limit. n

One of the seven electric hybrids running on route 55 demonstrates the indoor bus stop in the library in Frihamnen. JADE SMITH

The seating on the electric bus was firm and comfortable. JADE SMITH

This ElectriCity interactive screen found inside the indoor bus stop at Chalmers Lindholmen displays information on route 55. JADE SMITH


volvo sweden

Documents