{"id":3129,"date":"2025-05-09T10:00:58","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T08:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.phoenixcontact-emobility.com\/?p=3129"},"modified":"2025-12-11T12:54:26","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T10:54:26","slug":"successful-hpc-charging-test-in-the-all-electric-society-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.phoenixcontact-emobility.com\/en\/news-and-events\/electric-vehicles\/successful-hpc-charging-test-in-the-all-electric-society-park\/","title":{"rendered":"Successful HPC charging test in the All Electric Society Park"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Electric<\/span> bus put to the test for High Power Charging. And how would it work out?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>

Phoenix\u202fContact is known for its High Power Charging<\/a> (HPC) technology. But performing an HPC charging test with an electric bus in the All Electric Society (AES) Park was a first for the company. The charging park at Phoenix\u202fContact\u2019s headquarters in Germany, which was actually designed and built for cars, was then quickly made ready for the visit and charging test of the HESS electric bus on July 8 and 9, 2024. After some measuring and repositioning, a charging station was found for the bus. The end result was two days of interesting insights.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

But why did Swiss bus manufacturer HESS decide to make the trip to Germany for the charging test?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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An innovative electric bus on the move<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Founded in 1882, Swiss family-owned company and vehicle builder HESS manufactures<\/a> innovative electric buses for local transport. These include the Swiss eBus plus.<\/span>\u00a0
Nicolas Amacker, Project Manager for Swiss eBus plus and Head of Traction Hardware at HESS, was enthusiastic about this innovation project: \u201cThis is a lighthouse project, it\u2019s called Swiss eBus plus and that\u2019s also the name of our new generation of electric buses. They can drive a good 300 to 350 km in all conditions and can therefore replace a diesel bus.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

HESS implemented the project together with ETH Zurich and Bern University of Applied Sciences. It is supported by the Federal Office of Energy in Switzerland as a pilot and demonstration project. Within the project, both universities carried out research work in the fields of thermal management and battery technology. Overall, the Swiss eBus plus provides impressive new technologies with regard to heating, air conditioning, insulation, drive, and charging technology.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

To fully test the innovative technologies in the e-bus, Nicolas Amacker and Carlo Rindlisbacher, System Developers at HESS, traveled from Switzerland to Germany with the Swiss eBus plus. First, they made a stopover in Marburg, where the bus passed a climatic chamber test. The bus was cooled down to minus 20 degrees to test its innovative thermal insulation. This ensures that the bus achieves particularly efficient energy management through lower thermal losses.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Nicolas Amacker (HESS) charging the Swiss\u202feBus\u202fplus <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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After successfully completing the test in Marburg, the journey carried on to Phoenix\u202fContact and its All Electric Society Park<\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The collaboration between HESS and Phoenix\u202fContact was established by our Swiss colleague Stefan Staiber. As a system consultant, he was able to support the innovation project with the new CCS vehicle charging inlet CHARX connect universal<\/a>. The project was also supported by the product managers responsible for vehicle charging inlets, Linda Cam, Mefer Dogan, and Rik Stellbrink from Phoenix\u202fContact E-Mobility headquarters.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cIt was back in spring that I visited HESS in Switzerland, along with my colleagues Stefan Staiber and Rik Stellbrink, to find out more about the project,\u201d explained Mefer Dogan. \u201cEven then, it was impossible to think that we would all be carrying out a charging test here in the All Electric Society Park.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThis is the first time we have installed a High Power Charging inlet in this bus, which now enables us to charge with very high charging currents,\u201d explains Carlo Rindlisbacher, System Developer at HESS.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

And it was precisely these high charging currents that were to be put to the test at the DC charging station in the All Electric Society Park.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The team responsible for the project in front of the electric bus. Nicolas Amacker (HESS), Mefer Dogan, Linda Cam, Stefan Staiber (Phoenix\u202fContact), and Carlo Rindlisbacher (HESS) (from left to right). <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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What can you experience in the All Electric Society Park? <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The All Electric Society (AES) is Phoenix\u202fContact\u2019s vision of a world in which energy from renewable resources is available in sufficient quantities and at affordable prices. Phoenix\u202fContact not only offers the technologies required for this, they are also actively demonstrated in the All Electric Society Park<\/a> in Blomberg, Germany. They include technologies for generating renewable energy from photovoltaics, thermal feedback, wind power from turbines and a wind tree. Energy management is also illustrated, as the energy that is generated is distributed efficiently to the loads.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

A large area of the park is dedicated to the topic of e-mobility. Not only are there AC and DC charging stations, but the entire power electronics are also installed there. In addition, visitors can also learn about new technologies, such vehicle-to-grid, in a fun way in a cube.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Visitors can visit the park free of charge at any time and experience how the technologies in the various cubes interact.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Swiss eBus plus electric bus during the charging test in the e-mobility area of the All Electric Society Park in Blomberg, Germany. <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Charging currents put to the test<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The new type 2 CCS vehicle charging inlet<\/a> from Phoenix\u202fContact is installed in the electric bus. With DC conductor cross-sections of 120 mm\u00b2, this charging inlet enables battery charging with a charging current of up to 400 A. In Boost Mode, charging currents of up to 700 A can even be achieved for a limited period of time during the charging process. The charging power that can actually be achieved depends on a number of factors, such as the vehicle, outside temperatures, and the cooled charging infrastructure.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

And that was exactly what the team was looking at when the Swiss eBus plus underwent the two-day charging test in the All Electric Society Park. Nicolas Amacker and Carlo Rindlisbacher wanted to find out whether the charging power tested in the laboratory could also be achieved in practice \u2013 under real conditions and in warm weather \u2013 when the charging inlet, other vehicle components, and charging infrastructure interact.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The aim was to charge the battery at 80% with a constant charging power of 350 kW. Another test was aimed at Boost Mode, because HESS wanted to find out whether the vehicle could be charged with 500 A under real summer conditions.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cFor previous projects, the typical charging times were 3 to 4 hours,\u201d says Nicolas Amacker. So he was all the more delighted with the charging times achieved during the test: \u201cThe vehicle was charged from 30 to 80% in around half an hour, which is a pretty impressive time.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Carlo Rindlisbacher was also pleased with the charging test: \u201cRight now we\u2019re drawing power from the charging station at 500 A, which corresponds to around 350 kW. And what’s more: We\u2019re charging with 350 kW at a very good temperature.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Stefan Staiber, Michael Heinemann, Linda Cam, Patrick Klinge, Nicolas Amacker, Carlo Rindlisbacher, and Mefer Dogan (from left to right). <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Test passed successfully <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Phoenix\u202fContact E-Mobility team was thoroughly satisfied with the two successful test days. Even General Manager Michael Heinemann and Program Manager Patrick Klinge took the opportunity to participate in the charging tests.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cIt was a complete success,\u201d said Stefan Staiber with a smile.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

And Nicolas Amacker was also thrilled for the entire (e-bus) line: \u201cThe measurements that we have taken during this test show that we can achieve 1-to-1 laboratory values. And in real-world situations too. Even in warm outdoor temperatures. And that makes us positive for the future.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Us too. After such a great collaboration, we\u2019re already looking forward to the next visit and are excited to see the charging currents that we\u2019ll then be able to put to the test live with our customers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Anyone who would like to see the Swiss eBus plus live is in for a treat. The electric bus has been successfully in service with Zurich public transport company VBZ since September.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The HESS Swiss\u202feBus\u202fplus electric bus during the charging test<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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