EC Engineering, when charging e-buses is a matter of power. Ride & Charge sold in four countries

A maximum of 600 kW of charging power and a fully automatic process. EC Engineering, based in Poland, has sold its Ride & Charge system in four countries so far, including the domestic market. In collaboration with Ekoenergetyka, it has realized what the company claims to be «the fastest bus charger in the world», in the city of Poznan.

EC Engineering, focus on Ride & Charge

EC Engineering, based in Cracow, is a known design offices active in the field of railways and transportation. It has the status of a Research and Development Center granted by the Poland’s Minister of Economy in 2009. The company participated in the design of the fastest trains in Germany, Italy and China, as well as other vehicles in Austria, Belgium, Canada, France and the Netherlands.

What is more, EC Engineering is involved in the developing of new solutions for e-mobility in the automotive sector. Starting with the fast charging system Ride & Charge, that consists in a current collection system for charging of electric buses. The systems includes also a docking station. The charging procedure is made effective through the pantograph mounted on the roof of the vehicle. Charging power can be set depending on customer requirements, according to these power levels: 150 kW, 300 kW, 450 kW and up to 600 kW as a maximum.

EC Engineering Ride & Charge, pantograph solution for e-buses

Charging process starts immediately after the vehicle stops and last until the last second of the bus presence at the bus stop. The charging process is fully automated: pantograph opens automatically while approaching the station.

In the framework of Ride & Charge solution, the pantograph might be mounted depending on requirements of the vehicle manufacturer: it can be placed above rear axle of the vehicle as well as above front axle or in-between.

This project was co-financed by the National Center for Research and Development under the ‘Innotech’ program and realized in cooperation with the AGH University of Science and technology.

Poznan, the fastest bus charger in Europe

A milestone in the company history was the launch, in the Polish city of Poznan, of one of the fastest bus charger in the world, in cooperation with Ekoenergetyka Polska, upon awarding of the contract from MPK Poznan. That charger has a power of 540 kW and was charged at 533 kW and 790A during the tests, the company point out.

Currently Ride and Charge is being used in four countries: Poland, Slovakia (Bratislava), Czech Republic (in Hradec-Kralove) and Romania (cities of Brasov and Zalau) and has been used so far by Solaris and SOR, from the side of bus manufacturers.

Recently also the city of MZK Pila, where Solaris has been awarded an order for 5 electric buses and infrastructure, has been opting for EC Engineering-made Ride & Charge system. Still in Poland, also Lublin has ordered the system that is scheduled to be built in 2021.

Regarding charger providers, EC Engineering has been cooperating with: EkoEnergetyka, Medcom, Enika (Poland) and Rail Electronics (Czech Rep).