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ABB e-mobility business recognized as one of Europe’s ‘Cleantech Companies of the Decade’

May 22, 2014 in Electric Vehicles, EV charging, EV News

Award acknowledges the importance of investment in emerging clean technologies

Photo courtesy of ABB

Photo courtesy of ABB

Zurich, Switzerland – ABB, the leading power and automation group, announced today (5-21-14) its electrical vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure business was named by Cleantech Group (CTG), developer of the i3 market intelligence platform, as one of CTG’s five picks as a European Cleantech Company of the Decade.

ABB’s EV technology has been successfully deployed already in Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia, where it’s creating the infrastructure necessary to support growing demand for emissions-free vehicles around the world.

“ABB stands for power and productivity for a better world. Technology innovation is part of the fabric of ABB, and we are especially honored to receive this recognition,” said Ulrich Spiesshofer, CEO of ABB. “The growing need for sustainable transportation will continue pushing technology frontiers, this is a fundamental part of the innovation process. This is why such clean tech investments are an integral part of ABB’s growth strategy, allowing us to expand into attractive markets such as e-mobility and solar.”

This one-off award was made in connection with the 10th anniversary Cleantech Forum Europe, held in Stockholm this year. The award was made in Stockholm’s City Hall, the venue of the annual Nobel Prize ceremony.

“The ABB and Epyon case was picked to represent the copy-book venture story,” explained Richard Youngman, Managing Director Europe & Asia, CTG. “The company was a university spin-out in 2006, raised a couple of venture rounds in 2008 and 2010, and was sold to a major multi-national corporation, namely ABB, in 2011. The company is still thriving as a product group, with the same team, leveraging ABB’s international presence to take its fast-charging technology to the future markets of EV—China, for example.”

In July 2011, ABB announced it had acquired Epyon B.V., an early leader in EV-charging infrastructure solutions that focused on DC fast charging stations and charging network software. Epyon was founded in 2005, headquartered in the Netherlands and had around 50 staff worldwide at the time of the transaction.

Today, the Epyon portfolio is part of ABB’s Discrete Automation and Motion division and includes a range of EV solutions for all charging standards, remote and connectivity services for network providers and a variety of installation, training and maintenance services.

In February 2014, ABB announced a strategic collaboration with Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology Co., Ltd. to supply direct current fast chargers over the next six years for DENZA, helping China to become the global leader for EV fast charging.

The Cleantech Companies of the Decade awards are part of a celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the European Cleantech Forum, an annual collaborative gathering of the clean technology innovation community including entrepreneurs, corporations, investors and government leaders.

ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 150,000 people.

Cleantech Group (www.cleantech.com) helps clients accelerate sustainable innovation. The company’s i3 market intelligence platform, which tracks over $7 billion of deal flow annually across 23,000+ cleantech companies, allows subscribers to find, vet, and connect with entrepreneurs—efficiently building an innovation pipeline. Cleantech Forums bring the i3 platform to life by convening thought leaders and innovators around diverse themes in innovation. CTG’s Advisory Services leverage expertise in designing and executing corporate strategies for sustainable growth and innovation sourcing.

This article is a repost (5-21-14), credit: ABB.

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ABB and Solar Impulse form technology alliance

April 6, 2014 in Electric Plane, Electric Vehicles, EV enthusiast, EV News, Solar

Solar Impulse / Golden Gate Bridge Copyright Solar Impulse Photo courtesy of Solar Impulse

Solar Impulse / Golden Gate Bridge
Copyright Solar Impulse
Photo courtesy of Solar Impulse

ABB’s heritage of technology innovation in renewables, sustainable transportation and energy efficiency makes it an ideal partner for Solar Impulse, which is attempting the first round-the-world flight powered by the sun

Zurich, Switzerland, April 6, 2014 – ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, announced today it will support Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg in their attempt to fly around the world in a solar powered airplane in 2015.

The first-ever flight through the night with a solar airplane as well as record-breaking missions across Europe, the Mediterranean Sea and the United States brought worldwide attention to Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg with their Solar Impulse endeavor, demonstrating the enormous potential of clean technologies and showing how a pioneering spirit can achieve the impossible.

Now the Solar Impulse team is preparing for the ultimate technological challenge: to circumnavigate the globe in a plane powered only by the sun’s energy. On April 9, the team will unveil a new airplane, which will be used to attempt the round-the-world flight in 2015.

“This partnership brings together two Swiss-based global leaders that are passionate about pushing the boundaries of technology and innovation to achieve a better world,” said ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer. “We believe in Bertrand’s vision, and we are convinced that by pioneering innovative technologies we will be able to decouple economic growth from energy consumption and environmental impact. Today, ABB is a global leader for solutions to enable energy efficiency, sustainable transportation and renewables and like Solar Impulse we are always challenging the boundaries of what is technologically possible.”

“It was my dream to have ABB as technology partner of Solar Impulse,” said Bertrand Piccard, initiator and chairman of Solar Impulse. “We have the same goal of improving the world by using energy more efficiently and conserving natural resources.”

“Solar Impulse and ABB are technology innovators and pioneers,” said Andre Borschberg, Co-Founder and CEO of Solar Impulse. “We both want to motivate people to use clean technologies; ABB and Solar Impulse will work together on key technologies like power electronics for our mutual benefit.”

Switzerland-based ABB is a global leader in renewables, sustainable transportation and energy efficiency. The company is the world’s second-largest supplier of solar inverters and one of the largest suppliers to the wind-power industry. It is also a leader in integrating renewables efficiently and reliably into power grids. The breakthrough innovation of a high-voltage direct current circuit breaker in 2012 will enable the grid of the future. In March 2014, ABB announced that it would be building the world’s largest network of new-generation, fast chargers for electric cars in China. ABB improves energy efficiency across the entire value chain from exploration to consumption. Its installed base of drives for motors alone saved around 400 TWh in electricity in 2013, equivalent to the annual power consumption of 100 million European households.

ABB invested more than $1.5 billion in research and development in 2013 and has 8,500 technologists worldwide.

ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 150,000 people.

About Solar Impulse

Swiss pioneers Bertrand Piccard (Chairman) and André Borschberg (CEO) are the founders, pilots and the driving force behind Solar Impulse, the first airplane that can fly day and night without fuel or polluting emissions. Solar Impulse is a unique adventure that aims to bring emotions back at the heart of scientific exploration, a flying laboratory to find innovative technological solutions for today’s challenges and a vision to inspire each of us to be pioneers in our everyday lives.

This revolutionary carbon fibre airplane has the wingspan of a Boeing 747 (63.4m / 208 ft) and the weight of a small car (1,600kg / 3,527 lb). It is the result of seven years of intense work, calculations, simulations and tests by a team of about 80 people and 100 partners and advisors. A plane so big and light has never been built before. The 12,000 solar cells built into the wing provide four 10HP electric motors with renewable energy. By day the solar cells recharge the 400kg / 881 lb lithium batteries which allow the plane to fly at night.

This article is a repost, credit: Solar Impulse. Video courtesy of Solar Impulse.

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ABB to build world’s largest nationwide network of EV fast-charging stations in the Netherlands

July 12, 2013 in Electric Vehicles, EV charging, EV News

ABB wins contract for nationwide electric vehicle fast-charging infrastructure in the Netherlands bringing a charging station within 50 kilometers of all 16.7 million inhabitants

Image courtesy of ABB

Image courtesy of ABB

Zurich, Switzerland, July 8, 2013 – ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, announced today that it has been selected by Fastned to supply chargers to more than 200 electric vehicle fast-charging stations in the Netherlands, bringing an EV fast charger within 50 kilometers of all of the country’s 16.7 million inhabitants.

Each of the more than 200 Fastned stations along Dutch highways will be equipped with several multi-standards fast chargers, such as the 50 kilowatt (kW) Terra 52 and Terra 53 models, capable of charging electric vehicles in 15-30 minutes. The first ABB Terra fast chargers are due to be delivered in September 2013. Construction of the Fastned stations, which will have solar canopies, is expected to be completed by 2015.

To date, the Netherlands is the most populous country to roll out a nationwide fast-charging network. Fast-chargers will be located a maximum of 50 kilometers apart along all highways, and because of ABB’s multi-standard design, the network will be capable of serving EVs offered by all major car brands from Europe, Asia and the USA. ABB’s open standards-based cloud connectivity solution allows Fastned to create a user-friendly payment and access service for all drivers.

“Fastned chose ABB for its proven expertise in deploying and managing nationwide EV charging networks,” said Ulrich Spiesshofer, Executive Committee Member responsible for Discrete Automation and Motion. “ABB provides the chargers and industry-leading software solutions for remote servicing as well as connectivity to subscriber management and payment systems.”

Each web-connected ABB fast charger has a wide range of connectivity features, including remote assistance, management and servicing and smart software upgrades.

ABB’s multi-standard design supports all fast-charging standards and protocols such as CCS and CHAdeMO. This is critical to maintain compatibility between rapidly evolving cars and chargers in the years to come, and will allow Fastned to maintain a reliable service and to upgrade its network as the technology evolves.

“This countrywide network of locations will lay the basis for the commercially viable development of e-mobility,” said Bart Lubbers, one of Fastned’s founders. “I foresee a race towards faster charging and larger batteries throughout the car industry.”

The plan to deploy EV fast-charging stations along Dutch highways started in 2011 when Fastned asked the Ministry of Infrastructure for permission to implement an EV-charging network. In December 2011, the government announced a public-tender process to facilitate the deployment of charging facilities at the 245 service stations along the Dutch highways. Fastned gained concessions for 201 locations.

ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 145,000 people.

Fastned (www.fastned.nl) is a Dutch start-up founded in 2011 by Bart Lubbers and Michiel Langezaal to realize a nationwide charging infrastructure. The business rationale is based on the concept that the first market entrant will be able to pick the best locations for fast chargers in a country, justifying an early stage investment.

This article is a repost, credit: ABB, http://www.abb.us/cawp/seitp202/81718d0894a6a3fac1257ba20031e2ca.aspx.