As ABB sees it, technology means progress for humanity. And technology that really works has to be close to humanity in every sense of the word.
Take a look around. Wherever you see modern technology, reliable power supplies, efficient road transport, and remarkable rail solutions, you’re likely to be looking at ABB technology. Not that it’s always visible. Most of it isat work inside buildings and vehicles, where it drives progress. And a lot of progress happens quietly. It saves energy. It is as flexible as it is convenient. The future we envisage is already a reality in many projects and places. It makes our cities more livable and our transport more attractive, and it strikes a better balance between what people want and the needs of a sustainably developed environment. That is what ABB is building towards all over the world. And, quite naturally, some outstanding examples of this can be found in Switzerland.
Recreation in the mountains
Recreation in the mountains is becoming ever more spectacular, thanks to safer cable cars and mountain railways. ABB technologies connect the two winter sports areas of Arosa and Lenzerheide to create the biggest skiing region in the canton of Graubünden. Cableways fitted with ABB’s energy-efficient drive systems span the heights of 1,700 meters and 70 meters between Hörnli and Urdenfürggli without a single mast, carrying 150 holidaymakers in each gondola.
A Zurich trademark
The PrimeTower, which was completed in 2011. This architectural showpiece is 126 meters high and comprises 36 stories. Behind its glass facade lies the latest ABB technology, such as ultra-modern power supply systems, which bring electricity safely and efficiently to every room. That is because ABB products reduce energy losses by up to 30 percent along the entire energy chain.
TOSA
Fifteen seconds is all the TOSA fully electric bus needs to replenish its batteries. It can recharge using pivoting contacts on its roof during a regular stop. It drives without emissions and without noise. The TOSA can carry 133 passengers; it connected Geneva Airport to the Palexpo exhibition center from May 2013 to the end of 2014 – to the delight of passengers and operators. Geneva’s Line 23 is now being equipped with TOSA buses.
Gotthard base tunnel
The Gotthard base tunnel is the world’s longest railway tunnel. The latest energy-efficient technologies from ABB provide it with ventilation and power supply for its infrastructure and for over 10,000 orientation lights. Our company helps in many other ways to ensure that Switzerland, a country famous for its railways, keeps setting international standards. That includes locomotives as well as infrastructure, and encompasses maintenance, upgrades and retrofitting. The EC250 high-speed train, which is due to launch in 2019, will be yet another railway pioneer, and will incorporate ABB converters.
