The Volkswagen Group Components division has distributed flexible quick-charging stations over the Wolfsburg city area in recent weeks. As part of a pilot project, electric cars can be charged on them free of charge for 80 weeks. The electricity filling stations are part of a birthday present from VW to the city of Wolfsburg for the development of a fast charging infrastructure.
Nine of the twelve pillars are permanently connected to the power grid in the first phase of the project. Three more are used flexibly, for example at large events. Electric cars and hybrid vehicles from different manufacturers can be charged, the technology supports normal charging (AC) and quick charging (DC) with up to 100 kW.
“A comprehensive charging infrastructure in urban areas is one of the essential steps in an e-mobile future,” said Thomas Schmall, CEO of Volkswagen Group Components. “The flexible charging station that we developed is an important building block for a functioning network of charging points. It can be installed anywhere – permanently connected, but also independently of the power grid – wherever there is a need. No matter whether in the city, at festivals, at the stadium or at other events. “
When connected to the low-voltage network, the flexible quick charging station becomes a fixed charging point without the high effort of a comparable, permanently installed charging option. The built-in battery pack enables decoupling of the network by buffering the energy and thus relieving the strain on the power grid, especially at peak times.
If regeneratively generated electricity is fed into the charging station and temporarily stored, it enables CO2-neutral mobility, explains VW. For the sustainable use of valuable resources, the column is also designed so that old batteries from electric cars can be used as energy storage in the future. “This means that we assume end-to-end responsibility for the battery from the cell to recycling,” says Schmall.
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