MAHLE chargeBIG successfully realizes its first project for public charging infrastructure. The subsidiary of the MAHLE Group thus achieves another milestone and assumes the public operating role at this location. The 28 charging points for electric vehicles were installed at Lorch train station in the P&R car park.
The construction and operation of the charging infrastructure for the P&R car park at Lorch train station was tendered in summer 2022 and awarded to chargeBIG. In the course of the project, 26 single-phase charging points with a charging capacity of max. 7.2kW and two three-phase fast charging points with a charging capacity of maximum 22kW were established. Since the P&R parking lot is mainly used by commuters and the electric vehicles are therefore standing for a long time, a blocking fee for ad-hoc charging was deliberately avoided. The project was implemented with the support of the BMDV program “Ladeinfrastruktur vor Ort”. Thus, the city of Lorch was able to cover 80% of the investment with the subsidy.
On February 24th at 2 pm, the opening ceremony took place at Lorch train station. After an official welcome by the mayor Marita Funk, our founder Sebastian Ewert gave insights into the concept of chargeBIG and the advantages of the charging infrastructure. He then demonstrated with a live demo how the charging process can be carried out successfully. Among other things, he talked about how the chargeBIG app works and how easy it is to start a charging process.
A study by the Technical University of Munich as part of the “München Elektrisiert” research project confirms that our charging solution is ideally suited for the electrification of P&R parking spaces. The analysis was based on real usage data. The data basis for this was provided by operating data from Park & Ride car parks and billing data from public charging processes. The study shows that MAHLE chargeBIG as a low power approach (named AC18x7kW in the publication) scores both economically and technologically convincingly. For example, despite the comparatively lower charging capacity of chargeBIG, more than 95% of the required energy was transmitted. The entire study can be downloaded via the button below.
The chargeBIG charging solution relies on charging capacities between 2 – 7kW to charge many vehicles at one location in parallel. Through dynamic and phase-specific load management, the available total power is distributed in a grid-supportive and intelligent manner. Therefore, chargeBIG is the ideal charging solution for parking areas on which many electric vehicles stand for a longer period of time, such as at airports or trade fairs, in company car parks, on the premises of fleet operators, in hubs of city logistics, in the housing industry or in large public car parks.
MAHLE and Ideanomics Inc. conclude a strategic partnership for intelligent fleet charging solutions. The listed American tech company and the Stuttgart-based technology group are thus jointly accelerating the market ramp-up of the chargeBIG system in North America. The signing of the contract took place on February 7 at MAHLE in Stuttgart.
“Charging as fast as necessary, not as fast as possible” – that is the basic idea of chargeBIG. “With this strategic partnership between MAHLE and Ideanomics, we are now taking our vision to North America,” says Sebastian Ewert, founder and CEO of MAHLE chargeBIG. In Germany, chargeBIG has already successfully established itself in the market. „With Ideanomics as development and sales partner, we are now excellently positioned to help chargeBIG achieve a breakthrough in North America.”
With its system, chargeBIG has a centralized and scalable charging solution in the market, which can be cost-effectively integrated into the existing infrastructure without lengthy modifications. The chargeBIG system is the solution for locations where electric vehicles park for four hours or longer. With 18 to 100 or more charging points, chargeBIG is ideal for company car parks, airports, fleet operators or for underground car parks in large residential complexes. The charging solution relies on intelligent charging capacities between 2 and 7kW to charge many vehicles at one location in parallel. The integration of 19kW charging points (US specification) is possible. The charging infrastructure consists of a central charging cabinet and charging points with permanently mounted charging cables at the parking lot.
MAHLE is now making charging of electric vehicles possible even for smaller applications, such as in apartment buildings, workshops, or small businesses. With the new MAHLE chargeBIG6, up to six electric vehicles can be charged simultaneously at the existing house connection in the future. The central charging distributor is connected to the existing electricity meter. Thanks to Plug & Play, the system is easy to install, inexpensive and can be expanded by six additional parking spaces at any time. MAHLE chargeBIG has already successfully established itself on the market with its centralized and intelligent charging infrastructure for drivers who leave their cars in a parking lot all day, fleet operators, and large application areas with 18 charging points or more, and is now expanding its range of products for small users with the new offering.
“With chargeBIG6, we have developed an easy-to-install and inexpensive charging system, creating an effective solution for a large market need,” said Sebastian Ewert, founder and managing director of MAHLE chargeBIG. “Now even individuals or small businesses can easily electrify their parking lots.”
The plug-and-play solution consists of a central, small control unit—the MAHLE chargeBIG6 charging distributor, with up to six three-phase charging points, each with a charging power of 11 or 22 kW, and a permanently mounted charging cable and model 2 connector plug. With this charging distributor, twice as many electric vehicles can be charged as with the solutions currently offered on the market for this area of application. It contains all the necessary electronic components, such as charge controller, FI switch, load management and overvoltage protection. The system is connected to the existing house connection—even outdoors thanks to the IP 55 standard. Billing is done via the already installed electricity meter and therefore does not need to be connected to an operator backend.
However, the proven principle of chargeBIG has not changed: The control of charging processes with optimal load management.
Further product details and order requests can be found here:
Over 30 public charging points connected at Stuttgart Airport in P2 parking garage
DKV Mobility, the leading European B2B platform for on-the-road payments and solutions, is expanding its charging network to include 31 public charge points in the P2 multi-storey parking lot at Stuttgart Airport, operated via MAHLE chargeBIG GmbH. MAHLE chargeBIG and DKV Mobility subsidiary GreenFlux, which manages DKV Mobility’s entire charging service offering, recently signed a cooperation agreement to this effect. The charge points are accessible via the DKV APP&GO payment function within the DKV Mobility App.
“By making the charging points at Stuttgart Airport accessible to DKV Mobility customers, we are increasing their attractiveness,” says Sebastian Ewert, founder, and CEO of MAHLE chargeBIG. “The safest and easiest way to activate charging points is via app.”
“We are delighted about the partnership with MAHLE chargeBIG,” says Sven Mehringer, Managing Director Energy & Vehicle Services at DKV Mobility. “Thanks to the cooperation, our customers can not only park their electric vehicle in the immediate vicinity of the airport, but also charge it at the same time and settle charging and parking fees conveniently and transparently.”
MAHLE chargeBIG successfully promoted their charging infrastructure solution at IAA Transportation
From 19th to 25th September, MAHLE chargeBIG presented their charging infrastructure solution to interested visitors at the Test Drives and Plug & Play Campus at the IAA Transportation. Also test drivers had the opportunity to experience and test the charging process live on the chargeBIG charging infrastructure.
One highlight was the keynote speech of Sebastian Ewert, founder and CEO of MAHLE chargeBIG, at the IAA conference on Thursday, September 22. The keynote dealt with the challenges that arise for fleet loading in the logistics and inner-city transport industry. Based on a practical use case, Sebastian Ewert explained which solutions a fleet operator can use for the construction and operation of the charging infrastructure. For those who have missed the keynote, please click on the button below for the live stream.
In addition, the VDA Guided Tours took place from September 21 to 23. In these tours, various exhibitors presented their latest innovations at the IAA to the participating experts from business and politics. MAHLE chargeBIG was also part of these tours and a keen interest in the MAHLE charging solution has been expressed.
In summary, it was a successful week for chargeBIG at the IAA Transportation with a lot of great discussions with already existing and also a lot of new contacts.
MAHLE chargeBIG GmbH has reached another milestone for the existing quality management system. Since 4th of August 2022, MAHLE chargeBIG complies to the requirements of the calibration law according to MessEV Appendix 4 Part B Module D. Module D is an additional certification to Module B (type examination certificate). Based on the module B approval, the module D approval was successfully achieved.
Through annual re-audits by the VDE, which also include the examination of the relevant suppliers, the continuous suitability according to the module D approval is proven.
Contents of the Module D MessEV Certification:
Starting now, the following will change:
MAHLE chargeBIG überführt seine Prozesse in ein Qualitätsmanagementsystem nach ISO 9001 und erhält hierzu die Zertifizierung nach DIN ISO 9001:2015 vom TÜV Rheinland
Am 28. Juli erhält die MAHLE chargeBIG GmbH die Zertifizierung nach DIN ISO 9001:2015 von Vertretern des TÜV Rheinlands überreicht. Alle internen und externen Aktivitäten wurden beginnend im Oktober 2021 in ein professionelles Qualitätsmanagementsystem nach ISO 9001 überführt. Die Zertifizierung gilt bereits seit dem 10. Juni 2022 und konnte nun mit der Übergabe des Zertifikats als erfolgreicher Meilenstein gefeiert werden. Die Zertifizierung ist zunächst drei Jahre gültig und wird durch regelmäßige Audits bestätigt. Diese regelmäßigen Audits gewährleisten die kontinuierliche Überprüfung der Prozesse und des Qualitätsmanagements. Die MAHLE chargeBIG GmbH hat den Anspruch seinen Kunden Leistungen und Services von exzellenter Qualität zu liefern und hat hierfür ein entsprechendes Qualitätsprozess gegenüber Lieferanten und Partnern etabliert. Nationale wie internationale Kunden von MAHLE chargeBIG können sich auf die gleichbleibende Qualität verlassen. Für die junge Tochtergesellschaft von MAHLE ist die Zertifizierung ein toller Beweis für die erfolgreiche Entwicklung des Produkts sowie einer passenden Prozesslandschaft und für den Einsatz des Teams.
Für die tatkräftige und maßgebliche Unterstützung der Kollegen aus dem MAHLE Fachbereich, verantwortlich für das zentrale Qualitätsmanagement-System, bedankt sich chargeBIG besonders.
Centralized AC fleet charging solution chargeBIG from MAHLE for applications from 18 charging points can also be controlled via the standard OCPP protocol in the future
With the implementation of the charging point communication standard OCPP 1.6, MAHLE chargeBIG is taking the next step towards an open and universally applicable charging solution. Up to now, MAHLE chargeBIG has been offering its customers a full-service solution on request, incl. installation, service, maintenance and calibration-compliant billing with its own backend. In this scope of services, the customer receives everything from a single source on the basis of optimal integration of hardware and software. To be able to serve the customer groups that already have a backend in use today or if hardware and software are to be allocated separately, the implementation of OCPP will be implemented by December 2022. Customers can then integrate the chargeBIG charging hardware into third-party backends. The functionality will be retrofittable for customers who have already installed the chargeBIG solution today or install it by December. chargeBIG is also open to cooperation with partners and is available for corresponding exchange discussions.
The implementation of OCPP 1.6 is carried out in cooperation with the partner Pionix. In around 50 defined protocol messages, the chargeBIG charging hardware will exchange all relevant information with various backend providers. These include, for example, billing data such as the already charged quantity, the current charging power, the accumulated amount and all messages and settings relevant to calibration law and safety. The communication of the measured values is tamper-proof and completely encrypted. OCPP is an open application protocol, which has been published in various versions by the Open Charge Alliance (OCA) in Arnhem, the Netherlands, since 2011. The version OCPP 1.6 is the most widely used version in the European market. In the future, the somewhat more extensive successor to the protocol OCPP 2.0.1 will also be used.
To chargeBIG:
The chargeBIG charging concept for AC charging stations is suitable for fleets and applications of 18 to 100 or more electrified parking spaces. The solution is particularly suitable for parking lots where electric vehicles stay longer, for example at airports, office locations or multi-party residential complexes. chargeBIG offers turnkey centralized solutions for different charging requirements. In most cases, a charging capacity of up to 7.2 kW is used, whereby the integration of charging points with a charging capacity of up to 22 kW is possible. In particular, the scope of delivery including sub-distribution (charging cabinet), the simple installation and the avoidance of expensive network connection expansion repeatedly show the system’s competitive advantages for fleet applications. Phase-specific, highly dynamic load management is standard with every chargeBIG system. chargeBIG complies with the requirements of the calibration law and is easy to use via its own app.
17 multipliers from Greece visited the MAHLE headquarter in Stuttgart last week as part of an information trip. The innovative charging infrastructure solutions from chargeBIG were of particular interest to them.
The information trip was part of the Energy Export Initiative by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and had a strong focus on charging infrastructure for e-mobility. From June 21-24, the delegation visited several companies and municipal institutions in the southwest of Germany which are particularly committed to e-mobility. The aim was to provide the representatives of the economy and politics of Greece with comprehensive insights into the state of the art technology and the technical capacities of the German counterparts. In return, German companies and institutions were given the opportunity to present their products and services and thus expand their network.
On June 23, MAHLE chargeBIG presented the advantages and special features of the AC charging solutions chargeBIG 18-36 as well as the developments on chargeBIG POWER to the Greek delegation; potential use cases for the Greek market were also discussed. After the presentation, the participants visited the chargeBIG infrastructure in the underground car park of House A, where a total of 29 additional charging points were installed at the Stuttgart MAHLE site this spring.
By both sides, the visit was judged as very successful and profitable. The participants were particularly impressed by the fact that a weak grid infrastructure, high ambient temperatures and direct sunlight – factors that often cause problems in Greece – are no obstacles for the chargeBIG system. The chargeBIG team is looking forward to further discussions in the future and potential Greek cooperation or customers.
MAHLE chargeBIG GmbH joins the Charging Interface Initiative and is committed to the further development of the Combined Charging System.
The Charging Interface Initiative (CharIN e.V.) is a registered association with the aim of further developing the Combined Charging System (CCS) in the field of electromobility and promoting it as a global charging standard. The focus is on charging of two-wheelers and cars to trucks or buses, but also ships and aircraft. CharIN was founded in 2015 by several OEMs and market leaders in the value chain. With more than 260 members worldwide, the association continues to grow.
CCS is a holistic approach and offers a solution for various applications of vehicle charging: from AC to DC in various power classes, conductive charging and automated and wireless charging. Membership in the association is characterized by participation in the technical focus groups. MAHLE chargeBIG GmbH can thus play a significant role in the robust development of the Combined Charging System.
Tour with representatives of municipalities and the press
From 21st to 24th of April, i-Mobility presents future-oriented mobility solutions at the Stuttgart Exhibition Centre. Among the exhibitors are automotive companies as well as suppliers and dealers. Many of the exhibited solutions can be tested directly on site. In the “pit lane”, the latest electric, gas and hybrid vehicles are ready for a test drive. On 1,200 square meters, the latest e-bikes, pedelecs, cargo bikes and other high-tech bikes can be thoroughly tested by 2-wheel enthusiasts.
The MAHLE subsidiary chargeBIG is represented with its own exhibition booth at the “charging campus” in Hall 8 (Booth C38) and presents its intelligent AC charging solution for fleets, car park operators, the residential sector and other use cases from 18 to 100 or more charging points. On Thursday, 21st of April, Baden-Württemberg’s Minister of Transport, Winfried Hermann, visited the chargeBIG booth together with local and press representatives during his official tour of the fair – a special honor for the young MAHLE team, which was happy to answer the questions of the high-ranking guests.
The chargeBIG team is looking forward to seeing more visitors until this Sunday. At the weekend, the other spring fairs – Retro Classics, Slow Food, Haus Holz Energie, Fair Handeln and Garten – can also be visited at the Stuttgart Exhibition Centre.
Cooperation regarding e-mobility between Bau- und Heimstättenverein Stuttgart eG and MAHLE chargeBIG GmbH
In spring 2021, MAHLE presented the charging solution for “chargeBIG” electric vehicles to four construction cooperatives, including the contract partner. Subsequently, three building cooperatives, among them the contracting partner, decided as the owner of the underground car park at the location Scharnhauserpark, Herzog-Carl-Straße 3 in 73760 Ostfildern, In a pilot project, MAHLE was commissioned to retrofit the underground car park with the chargeBIG charging solution. The installation of the chargeBIG solution with initially 17 of 36 possible charging points was completed at the beginning of 2022. For this location of the pilot project, it has also spoken that, thanks to the chargeBIG principle of intelligent load distribution, there is no need to expand the house connection for the construction of a charging solution. The fire safety regulations were also already in place. The investment volume for the charging infrastructure, without consideration of an approved subsidy, is in the 5-digit range. The investments include the pre-equipment for 36 charging points, the intelligent charging cabinet including load management and the installation of the initially 17 charging points. In addition, there are ongoing costs that the tenants of electrified parking spots have to bear via a higher parking spot rent.
The first interested residents on site were able to rent an electrified parking space from the Bau- und Heimstättenverein Stuttgart eG from March 2022. In order to be able to charge your vehicle, it is necessary to download the free chargeBIG app or to use the web app in the browser. Authentication is carried out via QR Code Scan or NFC and, if desired, the user can create a customer account. The MAHLE chargeBIG app allows mobile payment of the charging processes. Another advantage is that the chargeBIG user can also have his visit charged directly at the charging point, since the charging process is not linked to any chassis number or vehicle license plates.
In the meantime, 9 parking spaces are rented. Further inquiries are available. With the increasing demand for charging points in the future, chargeBIG system can scale to 36 charging points with little effort. The three cooperatives involved on site are pleased to be able to offer their tenants an additional service and thus promote the switch to e-mobility.
At MAHLE, inquiries about the implementation of charging infrastructure in underground parking spaces for condominium communities and building cooperatives increased significantly last year. “chargeBIG” is the ideal solution for electrifying large-scale parking spaces, as the vehicles in underground car parks of residential buildings usually park more than 10 hours overnight. A simultaneous charging of several vehicles is no problem with the chargeBIG solution. Thanks to the load management, the centralization of the electronics in the charging cabinet and the intelligent charging power up to 7.2kW, the system can operate up to 36 charging points in parallel without expensive connection expansion.
After the turnkey installation, MAHLE chargeBIG GmbH has also assumed the role of charging infrastructure manager. The Stuttgart eG Building and Homestead Association thus receives maintenance and service from a single source. The Bau- und Heimstättenverein Stuttgart eG does not have to worry about the billing, because the end user receives the invoice after each charging process.
MAHLE chargeBIG, provider of a smart, scalable, and low-cost charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, remains on track for growth. The former corporate start-up is now an independent subsidiary of the MAHLE group. This will accelerate the automotive supplier’s transformation into a provider of sustainable mobility solutions and will also give the chargeBIG team greater operational freedom. The track record of MAHLE chargeBIG speaks for itself: since entering the market in 2018, around 1,500 charging points have already been sold to over 20 customers, and the current acquisition business is very successful. In addition, chargeBIG has concluded a development cooperation with power electronics specialist PRETTL Electronics Automotive to accelerate the market launch of its recently unveiled fast-charging solution chargeBIG POWER.
Sebastian Ewert, founder and managing director of MAHLE chargeBIG GmbH, said: “Being more firmly anchored within the Group will boost our business performance as a provider and operator of e-mobility services. We’re delighted that we can now take the next step in establishing our fast-charging solution, chargeBIG POWER, with our development partner PRETTL Electronics.”
“In PRETTL Electronics, chargeBIG has found the right partner to implement its ambitious goals. Combining economic efficiency and sustainability is at the heart of our approach,” said Carsten Ellermeier, CEO of PRETTL Electronics. “This is possible thanks to our expertise in the field of power electronics and the principle of intelligent load distribution. The result is an innovative and powerful charging solution.”
With chargeBIG POWER, the company will offer a DC fast-charging solution with charging power of up to 750 kW, based on the proven chargeBIG principle of intelligent load management. The fast-charging solution is suitable for charging parks with up to 20 charging points—even with limited grid connection. It can be economically integrated into the existing grid infrastructure. This solution is intended particularly for long-distance routes, where there is still a lack of fast-charging options today. In this way, MAHLE aims to expedite the electrification of individual and commercial traffic.
The basic chargeBIG concept for AC charging is suitable for fleets and applications with around 20 to 100, or even more, electrified parking spaces. This solution is particularly suitable for parking spaces where electric vehicles are parked for longer periods, such as at airports, office locations, or apartment blocks. chargeBIG offers turnkey centralized solutions for different charging requirements. Charging power of up to 7.2 kW is used in most cases, but charging points delivering an output of up to 22 kW can also be integrated. chargeBIG complies with the requirements of the German calibration law and is easy to operate via a dedicated app.
In the past six months alone, chargeBIG has installed around 500 new charging points at well-known companies such as Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Germany GmbH, ebm-papst Mulfingen GmbH & Co. KG, Philips Medizin Systeme Böblingen GmbH, SV Sparkassen Versicherung, DIBAG Neckarpark GmbH, and Fuchs Petrolub SE. In order to gain a foothold in the international market, a charging park with 72 charging points was also built at a MAHLE branch in Changshu/China. This gives potential new customers the opportunity to experience the performance and reliability of the system for themselves.
MAHLE chargeBIG was part of the VISION mobility THINK TANK “charging technology for fleets – installed quickly and flexibly” on 26th of January 2022
E-mobility recently picked up speed, which prompted many companies and municipalities to massively expand the charging infrastructure. In the THINK TANK, we discussed with experts what to consider and how to master the changeover flexibly, sustainably and future-proofen. Kurt Sigl, President of the Bundesverband eMobilität (BEM) e.V., Nicole Heinrich, responsible for sales and marketing of chargeBIG and Alexandra Traub, Team Leader Facility Management at Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Germany GmbH, answered questions. chargeBIG has installed 108 charging points for employees, customers and visitors for Trelleborg Solutions in Stuttgart Vaihingen. To learn from this reference project, watch the video.
In August 2021, six parking levels at Trelleborg Sealing Solutions GmbH in Stuttgart Vaihingen were equipped with 108 single-phase AC charging points with up to 7.2kW. In total, three fully equipped and networked charging cabinets with 36 charging points each were installed.
The charging points can be activated by the employees through access voucher codes and the chargeBIG app. In the future, Trelleborg plans a settlement in compliance with legal requirements, which is already pre-equipped, as well as ad-hoc charging. The charging processes are realized 100% with green electricity.
For two further company locations within Germany, chargeBIG has made further offers for the expansion of charging infrastructure.
About Trelleborg: Trelleborg is a global leader in engineered polymer solutions that seal, attenuate and protect critical applications in demanding environments. Its innovative solutions accelerate performance for customers sustainably. Trelleborg Group has an annual turnover of about SEK 37 billion (EUR 3,46 billion, USD 3,87 billion) in about 50 countries. 6,900 employees are employed in 9 research and development centers in Europe and America, as well as in 32 production sites worldwide.
MAHLE chargeBIG as associated partner and charging infrastructure supplier in the GELaZ project
On 9th of December 2021 the project GELaZ that was funded by the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Energy of Baden-Württemberg within the framework of the program INPUT (“Intelligent Grid Connection of Car Parks and Underground Garages”) was successfully completed.
The aim of the project was the joint charging of electrically powered cars at the three sites in Ludwigsburg, Reutlingen and Constance. Due to controllable load management during the charging process, the power supply system is not affected and thus not endangered even with high concurrence of charging of many electric vehicles. The installation of new grid nodes and local grid transformers could be dispensed with. Already proven hardware and software solutions for the simultaneous charging of several vehicles have been used, which have been adapted to the local conditions.
The project was carried out by the three funded partners Stadtwerke Ludwigsburg-Kornwestheim, Reutlingen University of Applied Sciences, ISC Konstanz (coordination) and by associated partners, supporters and suppliers such as MAHLE chargeBIG, Stuttgart Airport, Easy Smart Grid, Oli Systems, ChargeIT, FairNetz, AVAT, enisyst, Parkraumgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg, Vermögen und Bau Baden-Württemberg, management project coaching and wing-beratung.
In this context, the Stadtwerke Ludwigsburg-Kornwestheim erected a charging park with three charging stations and a total of six charging points for electric vehicles on its “Bärenwiese West” parking facility. The site was designed in such a way that a future-proof expansion to up to 24 charging points is possible. For this purpose, the charging stations were equipped with intelligent and grid-supportive load management, which intelligently controls the existing power and distributes it to the individual charging points. The aim is to use this load management to increase the integration of the charging infrastructure at the distribution grid level. For example, the SWLB makes its contribution that, using smart solutions and the associated necessary expansion of the charging infrastructure, nothing stands in the way of the success of the mobility transition. The charging infrastructure will continue to be available to the public after completion of the research project.
In addition, eight new 22kW charging points were installed in a parking lot of the Reutlingen University of Applied Sciences. As part of the pilot project, a grid connection and measurement concept was developed to supply the charging infrastructure with electricity in compliance with all legal requirements from the university’s area grid. This solution is ecologically, economically and technically significantly more cost-effective than the hitherto prescribed and usual practice of implementing the power supply via a separate (new) grid connection point and saves the general public high costs. The approach serves as a model for the further development of the state-owned parking space throughout Baden-Württemberg. The solution also made it possible to integrate the charging infrastructure into the Neckar-Alb Virtual Power Plant at the Reutlingen University of Applied Sciences and to operate it in a community-friendly manner. This optimizes energy consumption and generation across all sectors for the entire university, including parking, and reduces the burden on local networks. From 1 January 2022, the charging infrastructure will be available to the public and can then be used not only by university members, but also by residents or visitors of the nearby football stadium.
The solarLAGO charging park was established in Constance. Here, electricity can be “fueled” at 16 charging points. The charging solution from MAHLE chargeBIG is used on the premises of the ISC Constance combines the charging technology in a central control cabinet that controls the charging connections with attached Type-2 charging plugs at the parking lots. Up to now, a highly volatile load profile in the range of 60-240 kW existed at the grid of ISC due to the research facilities. In any case the grid is not further strained. Expensive load peaks are avoided and the load management also takes into account three photovoltaic systems with a total output of 42 kWp. A new feature is the integration of a methanol fuel cell as an “artificial sun” with intermediate storage. Compensation can thus also be provided in the winter months. The fuel cell delivers as much energy as the PV systems on an average day within 24 hours. The methanol for the fuel cell can be produced from hydrogen and CO2 using renewable energies. The electricity is available to a wide variety of user groups: users of company-owned electric vehicles, employees, guests, a CarSharing network and in the future at night and on weekends also residents and guests of surrounding localities.
As part of the SoLAR BWPLUS project, a community-friendly infrastructure has already been built in the residential district of Allenbach near Konstanz. In connection with this project, this was expanded by Easy Smart Grid with a community-friendly charging system.
MAHLE recently received two awards from the Chinese automotive trade media
MAHLE was awarded the “2021 Automotive Innovation Award” for its Inductive Externally Excited Synchronous Machine (IEESM). This innovative magnet-free electric motor requires no rare earths and, due to inductive power transmission, operates wear-free and particularly efficiently at high speeds. The prize is granted by the magazine “AI Automobile Industry”, which is published jointly by the German Vogel Media Group and the China Machinery Industry Information Research Institute. Dr. Bernd Blankenbach, MAHLE China Head of Traction Drive Systems, accepted the award on behalf of MAHLE.
MAHLE also received an award from the trade journal Automotive & Parts. The company won the “2021 China Automotive and Parts Industry Development and Innovation Award” for its innovative chargeBIG charging management system. To expand the charging system into the Chinese market, chargeBIG launched its first hardware demonstration program at the MAHLE Research and Development Center in Changshu this month. Additionally, chargeBIG is developing software tailored to the usage habits of Chinese consumers, which is expected to be released in the first half of 2022.
Public funding of charging infrastructure for fleets and employee parking spaces by the BMVI
The Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) promotes the installation of charging infrastructure for employee parking lots, for electric vehicles in company or municipal fleets, and for company vehicles. The new funding directive “Charging Stations for Electric Vehicles – Companies and Municipalities”, which are not accessible to the public, adds an important milestone for the increase of electric mobility.
The acquisition and construction of new, non-public stationary charging stations including grid connection are supported. The funding guidelines: The charging infrastructure must be located at parking spaces on properties intended for commercial and municipal use or for parking employees’ vehicles. The grant shall amount to a lump sum of EUR 900 per charging point and shall be guaranteed if the grant does not exceed 70 % of the total eligible costs. Charging points with a charging capacity of up to 22 kilowatts are conveyed. The granting of State aid to economic entities, that is to say companies, is carried out under this Support Directive as de minimis aid.
Who and what is promoted?
The subsidy for charging stations for electric vehicles promotes the purchase and installation of charging stations at parking spaces that are not accessible to the public. At the stations, company vehicles as well as private vehicles of the employees can be charged.
How much is the grant?
How does the application process work?
Further information:
Management-Holding “Schulz Group GmbH” installs 22 charging stations for electric cars at its headquarters in Ravensburg-Erlen
Instead of conventional filling stations and combustion engines, the Ravensburger Schulz Group is now focusing on decentralised charging stations and is thus setting an example for electromobility. For many people, e-mobility is still an offer of the future, but it has been part of our everyday lives for years. In the future, more and more cars with electric motors will be on the roads and will change the image of mobility in the long term. The Federal Government’s plan contributes to ten million electric cars and around one million charging points in Germany in 2030. With increasing registration numbers for electric cars, the number of charging options must also increase.
The transformation of mobility is also to be promoted within the Schulz Group – towards electrification. That is why, in addition to the photovoltaic system on the company building, five charging points have been available since 2015. At the beginning of this year, Schulz expanded its capacity to a total of 22 stations as part of a cooperation with the start-up chargeBIG powered by MAHLE. Due to the increased demand for charging options, the management decided to expand the charging infrastructure at the Ravensburg site. At present, the Schulz Group’s fleet of business vehicles already comprises 17 electric vehicles, and the trend is rising, and electric cars are also becoming increasingly popular among the Schulz Group’s employees in the private sector.
Schulz Group GmbH not only offers an incentive to switch to environmentally friendly drives, but also helps to create greater acceptance of electromobility. Sven Schulz, Managing Partner, wants to play a role as an entrepreneur with this investment and considers it his duty as an employer to make a contribution to sustainability and to create the necessary conditions.
Schulz Engineering, headquartered in Ravensburg Erlen, is one of eight subsidiaries of the Schulz Group, a medium-sized group of companies with around 300 employees across Germany, who work in the three business areas of Mechanical engineering and software has been successfully active for over 35 years.
At the IAA Mobility 2021, the MAHLE technology group announced that it is expanding its intelligent charging solutions for electric cars. With the newly introduced chargeBIG Power charging management system, the nearly 1,000 chargeBIG charging points that have been installed for long-term parking are an important addition to fast charging with outputs of up to 750 kW. chargeBIG Power builds on the proven chargeBIG principle: the charging management system can be economically integrated into the existing infrastructure; particularly on long-distance routes, where there is still a lack of fast-charging options. Thanks to the intelligent control of the load distribution in the power grid, the charging system enables as many electric vehicles as possible to be charged from the available power supply at the same time. By selecting the tariff, the user can order the charging capacity that fits the electric vehicle and travel plan. And the charging points are very easy to operate.
Fast-charging systems encourage the acceptance of electric vehicles. With the expansion of its chargeBIG range, MAHLE is emphasizing its commitment to accelerate the transformation toward sustainable mobility. The company’s future focus is on a triad of sustainable drives comprising the electric motor, the fuel cell, and the use of nonfossil fuels in the intelligent combustion engine.
On World Electric Car Day (World EV Day) on September 9, MAHLE’s e-mobility activities can be experienced in all its facets. The technology group is currently showcasing its broad e-mobility innovation range from charging technologies via battery systems to electric motors at the leading IAA Mobility trade fair in Munich/Germany. MAHLE is represented at the Open Space (Königsplatz) and at the Mobility Summit (exhibition center).
On June 29th, the chargeBIG charging solution was realized at Marquard & Bahls AG in Hamburg. Marquard & Bahls chose the future-proof charging solution from MAHLE, because chargeBIG can be easily expanded and complies with legal requirements of the calibration law. Currently, 32 charging points are already installed on two parking levels, which means almost a quarter of all employee parking spaces are electrified. In the future, additional 32 charging points can be added without incurring any further costs for the sub-distribution cabinets. Only the costs for the charging points and the installation have to be spent in the second expansion step. With regards to the hardware, the fully equipped charging cabinets can regulate a maximum of 30 single-phase charging points and offer dynamic charging powers of up to 7.2kW, ideal for day parking. Two three-phase charging points with charging power of 22kW are also integrated into the charging cabinets. These fast-charging points can be used by visitors, suppliers or fleet vehicles that need to be recharged faster in less time.
The charging points are initially free of charge and accessible without authentication. At a later point in time, the payment system can be activated. The charging points are then accessed via the chargeBIG smartphone app and the QR code scan or via NFC. The chargeBIG service can be used to bill consumers via ad hoc payment for the energy consumed or free of charge via access code.
The international standard OpenADR was implemented at the charging infrastructure of Marquard & Bahls. The protocol allows the grid operator to control the chargeBIG charging infrastructure and reduce the load on the distribution grid in an emergency. The implementation of this function was a requirement for the funding approval in the ELBE project. By realizing OpenADR, cost-intensive expansion of the grid could be minimized respectively avoided.
By electrifying the parking spaces, Marquard & Bahls motivates its employees to buy an electric car or a plug-in hybrid. The electrification of its own vehicle fleet is also progressing. Thus, the company is making a positive contribution to climate protection and the reduction of CO2 and local emissions. About Marquard & Bahls AG: Founded in 1947, Marquard & Bahls has grown into an agile independent holding company in the energy & chemical sector. Its core lines of business include tank storage logistics and energy trading. Through its subsidiaries, Marquard & Bahls has a presence in 29 countries in Europe, America, Asia and Africa and employs about 4,300 people. The vision is to be a successful ethical investor supporting human development.
On 13 July, Marita Funk, mayor of the city of Lorch and the neighbouring municipalities, visited the MAHLE plant in Lorch. Mrs. Funk was welcomed by the plant manager Jochen Scholz and the chargeBIG team. The personal acquaintance began with a look into the history of the plant, which dates back to 1954. Afterwards, they visited the recently built charging infrastructure for electric cars at the site. The potential cooperation between the city of Lorch and chargeBIG in the area of the public charging – for example at the local train station – was also discussed. The visit ended with an informative tour through the plant production areas of aluminium, sheet metal and plastic. In Lorch, a wide variety of technical parts, assemblies and end products for the combustion engine and for new fields of e-mobility are manufactured across all three material areas.
In March, a fully equipped charging cabinet with 36 single-phase charging points was put into operation at Cronimet in Karlsruhe. The project was implemented together with the partners eliso and Heldele. The charging points are used by the employees and company car owners of Cronimet and are initially accessible free of charge. At a later point in time, the payment system can be retrofitted. The supply cable to the charging cabinet is able to connect to a second charging cabinet and thus 36 charging points can be easily installed in the future.
About Cronimet: The CRONIMET Holding Group, headquartered in Karlsruhe, is a global specialist for stainless steel scrap, ferro-alloys and primary metals. The company has been supplying raw materials for the stainless steel producing industry for four decades. The focus is on retail & sales, recycling and production & services. The CRONIMET Holding Group was founded in 1980 and today has a global presence with more than 1,500 employees at more than 70 locations.
MAHLE’s corporate start-up chargeBIG has successfully passed the VDE’s certification procedure with its charging solution for electric vehicles. This means that chargeBIG, with the support of the calibration authorities in the relevant federal states, can now bill customers in compliance with the German Measurement and Verification Act—that is to say, in a manner that delivers precise, traceable, permanently verifiable, and storable data. chargeBIG is also the first provider in Germany to offer its customers the option of tracking charging progress via a regulation-compliant display on a smartphone. The MAHLE start-up business has been enjoying market success since 2017 with a scalable intelligent charging solution for electric vehicles, which is particularly suitable for vehicles that are left in a parking lot all day or for long periods. The chargeBIG system allows electricity to be supplied to as many parking spaces as possible at the lowest cost possible. Customers include Stuttgart Airport, the International Solar Energy Research Center in Konstanz, Cronimet Ferroleg GmbH, Schulz Group GmbH, and Landesbank Baden-Württemberg.
The chargeBIG app for iOS and Android or the universal web app can be used to activate correspondingly equipped chargeBIG charging points via a QR code scanner or near-field client (NFC). Users pay for their charge on an ad hoc basis using conventional methods such as credit card or PayPal. The app offers repeat customers the option of setting up a user account and storing their preferred means of payment so that fewer clicks are needed to start the charging process. For fleet customers, one-off visitors, or drivers wishing to charge company cars on their employer’s premises, chargeBIG also offers access codes for activation and billing to cost centers.
Ruben Danisch
Head of Corporate and Product Communications
Phone: +49 711 501-12199
E-mail: ruben.danisch@mahle.com
Christopher Rimmele
Spokesperson Product, Technology and Aftermarket
Phone: +49 711 501-12374
E-Mail: christopher.rimmele@mahle.com
On 17 March, Dr. Anna Christmann visited the MAHLE headquarter in Bad Cannstatt. The Member of Bundestag is already familiar with MAHLE and learned about the company’s innovation activities during her visit.
The first item on the agenda was a visit of the chargeBIG charging infrastructure, where Nicole Heinrich and Sebastian Ewert, representing the Corporate Startup, explained the technical features of the innovative charging concept. More than 100 charging points are already in operation in the car park at the MAHLE Group headquarter. During the discussion, the regulatory challenges encountered by the chargeBIG team during the project were addressed.
After the visit, Jochen Adelmann, Head of Corporate Planning, presented the MAHLE Incubator program in detail to Dr. Christmann and reported on the positive experiences associated with it. He explained the special importance of the internal innovation programs for MAHLE, as they not only produce new products and business ideas, but also bring new project processes and agile working forms into the organization. Dr. Christmann showed great interest and was particularly impressed by our new projects in the MAHLE Startup Space.
