- ABB is helping the Chinese auto industry to automate and meet demand for the next generation of electric vehicles
- ABB’s energy-efficient large robots and OmniCore™ controllers will help Volvo Cars deliver energy savings of up to 20 percent
- Super Charging Site for 100 fast and super-fast chargers located in Shanghai
As the world’s largest manufacturer of electric vehicles (EVs), China has witnessed dramatic growth in its EV market in recent years.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), China’s EV sales in 2024 will reach around 10 million – roughly 45% of its total car sales.
The IEA’s Global EV Outlook also states that by 2030, one in three cars on Chinese roads are expected to be electric, and almost one in five in both the US and the European Union.
In tandem with this demand, ABB has strengthened its long-standing partnership with the auto manufacturing industry in China, for example with Volvo cars, which has manufacturing sites in China, and the construction of a major EV charging hub in Shanghai.
Meeting consumer demand and sustainability targets
ABB agreed last year to supply the Volvo Cars factories in Daqing, China and Torslanda, Sweden, with more than 1,300 robots and functional packages to build the next generation of electric vehicles. This will support Volvo, which is headquartered in Sweden, to achieve its sustainability targets.
The agreement includes functional packages covering production tasks such as spot-welding, riveting and ultrasonic weld inspection. Each package combines hardware, software and services.
“The automotive industry’s historic transformation, driven by increasing consumer demand for electric vehicles and a desire to operate more sustainably, is creating new opportunities as well as challenges for global manufacturers. This latest commitment from our partner Volvo Cars demonstrates our shared focus of delivering more sustainable manufacturing.”
– Marc Segura, ABB Robotics President
Alongside the hardware and functional packages, ABB’s latest range of OmniCore™ robot controllers will help to deliver energy savings of up to 20 percent at sites, thanks to their efficient power electronics and use of regenerative braking within the robot.
Volvo Cars and ABB share a tradition of joint developments to make the production of cars more efficient, and to continuously improve the capabilities of industrial robots in the auto industry.
Soaring EV sales means more charging demand
“Ensuring that the availability of public charging keeps pace with electric vehicle sales is crucial for continued growth,” notes the IEA. ABB has partnered in the construction of a new ‘Super Charging Site’ in Shanghai, designed to help meet growing demand for fast- and super-fast charging.
The Shanghai Beidi Super Charging Site is located in Shanghai, adjacent to the Hongqiao transportation hub and national exhibition and convention center.
- It covers an area of approximately 6,832 m2, with a total of more than 100 fast- and super-fast charging parking spaces
- It is equipped with a large battery swap station (40 battery packs), an automatic car washer, and a driver lounge
The site is due to be opened on May 24, 2024, one day ahead of the ABB Formula E Shanghai E-Prix.
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