This Danish Ultrafast Charging Station Could Transform Stop Off Points
The race is on along Europe's 'electric superhighway' from Norway to Italy to build super-fast charging stations. This September, the first of some 180 minimalist charging stations along the route is expected to open in Fredericia, Denmark, built by Danish e-mobility provider Clever in partnership with European electric utility E.On, and it's going to look very different from a conventional service station.
Last year, BMW, Daimler, Ford, and Volkswagen also announced that they would be building 400 high-power charging stations in Germany, Norway, and Austria by 2020, as part of a joint venture called IONITY.
Clever and E.On's charging stations will initially be able to charge a full 400km-range battery in 20-30 minutes, effectively as fast as IONITY's, and up to speed with Tesla's Superchargers. Charging times are expected to be slashed as technology improves: ABB, whose technology Clever is using, recently unveiled details of its 350 kW charging points which will provide a range of 180-200 miles (322 kilometers) in just eight minutes. Clever's EV charging sites will stand at every 75-112 miles (120-180 kilometers) with between two and six charge points at each.
COBE architects have designed for Clever a classic charging station, with more than a hint of Danish designer Arne Jacobson's groundbreaking Skovshoved Gas Station.
Forget garish colors and petrol fumes, and think of some of the more picturesque aires along France's Autoroute du Soleil. Clever's service stations will be an oasis in the middle of the highway, perfumed by the scent of thyme, rosemary, and lavender.
"We wanted to create a new archetype," says Marie Kristine Schmidt, CXO of Clever. "We wanted to convey that sense of freedom you have when you are in your car."
The result is a 'green heart with digital offerings', as Schmidt calls it. "These electric charging stations will be much more than just somewhere to charge up and stretch your legs. They're going to be a sensory experience, something you don't usually expect when you set out on a long journey."
There will be play areas for children and places to stretch out. Clever's modular design means that a café/restaurant can be placed in “the green heart” very easily, but there no plans to open food outlets if the stations are close to existing ones. With the Northern European habit of taking along your coffee and lunch in your rucksack, that shouldn't be a problem.
The flagship project has received 10 million euros in funding from the European Commission, but Schmidt admits that more than this is going to be needed to complete all 180 electric service stations.
"Right now the market is in the early phase of the build-up," she says. "Growth will be exponential but you need to make the decision to become part of it."
Sales of electric vehicles will reach 11 million by 2025 before racing to 30 million by 2030 as they become cheaper than petrol and diesel vehicles, up from just 1.1 million last year, according to Bloomberg. By 2040 the impact will be even more pronounced.
