Rheinmetall, a German technology company, has presented a solution to the lack of public charging stations for electric cars in the country. According to a recent study by Strategy&, Germany needs at least 520,000 public charging points to support the 15.8 million battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) that are expected to be on the road by 2030. However, there are currently only 210,000 public charging stations available. Rheinmetall’s solution involves integrating charging stations into the curbside, allowing for a high density of charging points in cities.
The technology company’s engineers have developed a system that integrates the charging electronics into the curbside, turning it into a charging station without impeding traffic. This solution allows electric cars to park directly at the curbside and charge without the need for cables to be laid over other parking spaces or sidewalks. The charging system uses the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP), making it easy to integrate into existing systems. The charging power is up to 22kW AC, allowing even electric cars with large batteries to be fully charged in just a few hours.
The engineers at Rheinmetall focused on the system’s easy retrofitting capabilities, allowing for complete parking lots and streets to be prepared with dummy curbsides for the integration of the charging system. The charging electronics can be retrofitted as needed, making it a cost-effective solution for expanding charging infrastructure. Additionally, the charging system’s maintenance and repair can be done in just a few minutes, as the electronics unit can be removed and replaced without removing the curbside. Rheinmetall is currently conducting long-term tests on the charging stations in the curbside, and the first charging curbsides will be installed in a pilot project in public spaces.
