At the opening of the pavilion, Minister President Winfried Kretschmann spoke to Thomas Speidel, founder and CEO of Ads-Tec Energy, about developments in ultra-fast charging, even on weak grids.
"We have partnered with the Baden-Württemberg state at the Hannover Messe for over 10 years. Our vision for Ads-Tec Energy has now become a reality as a leading listed company," said Speidel. He explained that there are hurdles that Ads-Tec Energy, partners and infrastructure operators face: the new "German speed" invoked by politicians is still needed. In addition, Speidel believes that sourcing products and services from local companies would help ensure the independence of the critical grid infrastructure.
Last week, Stadtwerke Oranienburg, the public works department in Oranienburg, Germany told the Federal Network Agency that the upstream high-voltage grid cannot provide sufficient power for Oranienburg.
"This means that the supply options in the town of Oranienburg have been exhausted," said Peter Grabowsky, managing director of Stadtwerke Oranienburg. The additional capacity that has been requested for over a year has not been made available and, as a result, applications for charging infrastructure connections are no longer being approved.
This situation underlines Speidel’s statement that grid expansion is reaching its limits and cannot grow fast enough to meet the demand for a functioning charging infrastructure.
"We make fast charging possible even on the undeveloped and power-limited grid,” Speidel points out. “The key to this is our integrated battery storage system. It allows us to support the grid for charging at up to 320 or 300 kW. When two EVs are charged at the same time it supports each at 160 or 150 kW."
With a footprint of just 1.95 m2, the company’s ChargePost is particularly suited to urban areas where the grid is limited, and expansion would be costly and time-consuming. The ChargePost supports grid connections from 22 to 87 kW and can charge EVs in just a few minutes thanks to its innovative battery storage technology. But that's not all: the battery also feeds energy back into the grid.
"With this technology, we can not only store renewable energy directly on site, but we also make energy trading possible. Electricity is either consumed directly on a decentralised basis or traded when there is no vehicle to charge," added Speidel.
"ChargePost is a sustainable and profitable investment that can support different business models depending on the location. Not only can you charge EVs with this system, but you can also display advertising on the two 75-inch displays, use your own low-cost PV, and participate in electricity trading." In addition, customers can connect multiple ChargePosts to create a virtual power plant that reduces expensive grid peaks."
