Flash-charging battery for electric buses

Themost common method of powering electric buses is via overhead lines connected to the vehicle using a pantograph. Now, attempts are being made to run buses and trucks using batteries, just like cars. However, the big challenge is the long time taken to charge the batteries. Global leader in industrial technology ABB has come up with a solution that ‘flash-charges’ a bus battery in just 20 seconds, and the first such buses are being tried out on a major city route in Geneva, Switzerland. “Referred to as TOSA (Trolleybus Optimisation Système Alimentation), the buses receive a quick, flash-charge at selected passenger stops, in addition to charging buses for four to five minutes at the end of their routes. Several valuable seconds are saved at each flash-charging stop, so it takes less time at the end terminal to return the battery to its 100% state — and keeps the buses aligned with the timetable,” ABB said