Hitachi Energy to help French city of Clermont-Ferrand electrify its bus network and progress towards carbon neutrality

Dec 20, 2022 10:41 JST

Source: Hitachi, Ltd.

Grid-eMotion Flash will help to reduce emissions, traffic and noise in the metropolitan area and create a better quality of life for people

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, Dec 20, 2022 - (JCN Newswire) - Hitachi Energy, a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all, recently announced it has won an order to supply its Grid- eMotion Flash ultrafast charging system for the two busiest bus routes in the city of Clermont- Ferrand, central France.

Grid-eMotion Flash was the first choice of the city's public transportation operator, SMTC-AC, which requires a fast, efficient, reliable and safe charging system that will help persuade motorists to leave their cars at home and use emission-free public transportation instead.

Grid-eMotion Flash is part of the city's InspiRe(1) program to create sustainable urban mobility and reduce emissions, congestion and noise in the metropolitan area. It includes 40 new ebuses, dedicated bus lanes to shorten passenger journeys, very short intervals between buses in timetables, and no interruptions in bus services due to discharged batteries. As a result, SMTC-AC aims to raise passenger satisfaction and significantly increase the number of passenger journeys from 32 million today to 52 million by 2032(2). The new electric transportation system, integrated into a complex urban environment, will reduce CO2 emissions by around 5,000 tons a year.

Grid-eMotion Flash - Hitachi Energy's ultrafast charging system - is enabling cities to reduce the environmental pollution of their transit systems without affecting passenger capacity or journey times. It flash-charges buses within seconds at selected stops, with ultrafast top-up charging during short rests at the route terminus and the depot.

"We are delighted to have won this prestigious order to help one of France's historic cities switch from fossil-fueled public transportation to emission-free electric buses," said Niklas Persson, Managing Director of Hitachi Energy's Grid Integration business. "We share the same vision and values as Clermont-Ferrand - that electric public transportation leads to a sustainable energy future and a better quality of life for the people who live and work in the city."

Grid-eMotion Flash is part of the electric transportation system in Nantes, France, which earlier this year won the industry's highest award for operational and technological excellence from UITP, the leading global trade organization for public transportation(3). The Nantes flash charging system has also been featured by the BBC in its Humanising Energy(4) series on innovation in the world of energy.

Hitachi Energy was awarded the order by ebus manufacturer HESS of Switzerland. The two companies have previously collaborated on ebus and flash charging solutions for Brisbane in Australia, Geneva in Switzerland and Nantes in France. Grid-eMotion solutions are already operating or under development in Australia, Canada, China, India, the Middle East, the United States and several countries in Europe.

The Grid-eMotion portfolio includes Grid-eMotion Fleet, a grid-code compliant and space- saving grid-to-plug charging solution that can be installed in existing depots and scaled flexibly as the fleet gets greener. It comprises a robust and compact grid connection and charging points, and is available for buses and commercial vehicle fleets, including last-mile delivery and heavy-duty trucks that require high power charging of several megawatts.

Both Flash and Fleet are equipped with configurable smart charging digital platforms that can be embedded with larger fleet and energy management systems. Additional offerings from Hitachi Energy for electric vehicle charging systems include e-mesh energy management and optimization solutions and Lumada APM, EAM and FSM solutions to help transportation operators make informed decisions that maximize uptime and improve efficiency.

In the past year, Hitachi Energy has won orders from customers and partners all over the world for its smart charging portfolio - a sign that Grid-eMotion is changing the e-mobility landscape for electric buses and commercial vehicles.

Hitachi Energy website
Grid-eMotion portfolio: bit.ly/3FJExVS
Grid-eMotion Flash: bit.ly/3WaNGhr
Grid-eMotion Fleet: bit.ly/3YypM0O

(1) InspiRe: https://inspire-clermontmetropole.fr/
(2) Figures supplied by SMTC-AC
(3) bit.ly/3PGy0Qj
(4) www.bbc.com/storyworks/humanising-energy/charging-forces

About Hitachi Energy Ltd.

Hitachi Energy is a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all. We serve customers in the utility, industry and infrastructure sectors with innovative solutions and services across the value chain. Together with customers and partners, we pioneer technologies and enable the digital transformation required to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral future. We are advancing the world's energy system to become more sustainable, flexible and secure whilst balancing social, environmental and economic value. Hitachi Energy has a proven track record and unparalleled installed base in more than 140 countries. Headquartered in Switzerland, we employ around 40,000 people in 90 countries and generate business volumes of approximately $10 billion USD.
www.hitachienergy.com
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About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi drives Social Innovation Business, creating a sustainable society with data and technology. We will solve customers' and society's challenges with Lumada solutions leveraging IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products, under the business structure of Digital Systems & Services, Green Energy & Mobility, Connective Industries and Automotive Systems. Driven by green, digital, and innovation, we aim for growth through collaboration with our customers. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal year 2021 (ended March 31, 2022) totaled 10,264.6 billion yen ($84,136 million USD), with 853 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 370,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at https://www.hitachi.com.

Sectors: Energy, Alternatives, Alternative Energy