Gothenburg’s 100 % renewable electricity bus route with Siemens technology

The new electric bus route 55 between Lindholmen and Johanneberg in Gothenburg, Sweden, is now inaugurated. This nine-kilometer-route will be served by three all-electric buses and seven electric-hybrids, all from Volvo Buses. The vehicles are equipped with battery packs that will be charged with renewable electricity. Siemens, together with the communal energy supplier Göteborg Energi, has installed two high power charging stations, one at each end of the route, and supplied the complete charging system.
electricity bus with Siemens technology

“Gothenburg’s eBus route nicely shows how flexible our charging system can be. For the first time, a Siemens charging station was installed indoors. Instead on top of a mast system, the pantograph is being located on the ceiling of the building”, explains Sandra Gott-Karlbauer, CEO of Siemens’ business unit Urban Transport.

Håkan Agnevall, President Volvo Buses: “The energy consumption of the Volvo electric buses is about 80 per cent lower than that of corresponding diesel buses. Quiet and entirely exhaust-free operation will contribute both to a better urban environment and reduced climate impact, while passengers get a more pleasant ride.”

“We are very happy to have taken another important step towards a more sustainable public transport. By charging the buses with renewable energy, we reduce emissions and improve air quality for the people of Gothenburg. This transition of the transport sector is necessary if we want to create an ecologically sustainable society. Electrification of public transport is, alongside other solutions such as increased use of biogas, an important part of this work”, says Lotta Brändström, CEO of Göteborg Energi.

Volvo and Siemens have been working together since 2012 within the field of electromobility, and have signed a global agreement regarding supply of complete electrified bus systems to cities. Under the agreement, Volvo Buses will supply electric-hybrid buses and full-electric buses to customers, and Siemens will supply and install high-power charging stations (charging power of up to 450 kW) for the electric vehicles.

Traffic with electric buses on route 55 in Gothenburg is a result of ElectriCity. This is a cooperative venture between the research fraternity, industry and city planners, for the purpose of developing, demonstrating and evaluating next-generation sustainable public transport. Among the participants are Volvo Group, University of Technology, Region Västra Götaland, Västtrafik, the Municipality of Gothenburg, Göteborg Energi, Lindholmen Science Park and Johanneberg Science Park.

For further information on “ElectriCity”, please see: www.goteborgelectricity.se

For further information on Mobility Division, please see: www.siemens.com/mobility

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. The company is active in more than 200 countries, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is No. 1 in offshore wind turbine construction, a leading supplier of combined cycle turbines for power generation, a major provider of power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. The company is also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems – and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2014, which ended on September 30, 2014, Siemens generated revenue from continuing operations of €71.9 billion and net income of €5.5 billion. At the end of September 2014, the company had around 343,000 employees worldwide on a continuing basis. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.