Shell Germany and the Volkswagen Group have installed an innovative electric vehicle (EV) charging station at a Shell service station in Göttingen.
The 150 kW Elli Flexpole charging station has the power to change EV charging infrastructure for good. Its unique battery storage system allows it to be connected to a low-voltage grid, without the need for a special transformer or costly construction work. That means the Elli Flexpole can be installed far more easily and flexibly than standard EV charge points, and the grid expansion can be rapidly accelerated.
Shell and Volkswagen plan to install the Flexpole charging station at other locations in Germany and Europe after a successful test operation.
The rapid expansion of the charging infrastructure is essential for the success of e-mobility, with lack of infrastructure being cited across the board as a main concern for drivers who are thinking of going EV. The German government aims to have at least one million charging points available for EV drivers by 2030.
Flexpole charging stations enable a charging speed of up to 150 kW. Depending on the vehicle, a range of up to 160 kilometres can be charged within just 10 minutes. Surely that’s enough to put some drivers’ range anxiety to bed.
Shell has been expanding its charging network throughout Germany, with the aim of becoming net-zero by 2050.
The company has bought several EV charging infrastructure solutions, such as NewMotion and ubitricity, and opened the first Shell Recharge fast charging stations at the parking lots of REWE and PENNY supermarkets. Shell aims to install over 500,000 charging points worldwide by 2025 and 2,500,000 by 2030.
Volkswagen Group Technology bundles the charging, battery, and e-component activities from across the Volkswagen family into an in-house technology supplier, alongside its subsidiaries PowerCo and Elli.
The Group provides access to Europe’s largest charging network for electric mobility, with over 500,000 charging points at around 950 providers in 28 countries. Their goal is to provide a global network of 45,000 high-power charging points by 2025, with 10,000 already expected across Europe by the end of this year.
This project proves the power of collaboration, as two of the leading global EV charging players come together to create a truly innovative solution with the potential to propel EV charging infrastructure into the future.
