Shell and VW Open Flexpole Charging Station

• Shell and Volkswagen recently installed their first innovative Flexpole charging station in Göttingen, Germany, recently. 
• The charging station contains a unique battery storage system that enables connection to a low-voltage power grid.    
• Future Flexpole locations are planned in Germany and across Europe.   

Shell Germany and the Volkswagen Group are teaming up to boost the expansion of EV charging infrastructure. They recently unveiled the innovative 150 kW Elli Flexpole charging station at a Shell service station in Göttingen, Germany. The goal is to make more chargepoints that are easily and flexibly installed, speeding up grid expansion.

This cutting-edge charging station, developed by Volkswagen’s Elli brand, features a unique battery storage system that allows it to connect to a low-voltage grid. Following successful testing, Shell and Volkswagen plan to install Flexpole charging stations at other locations across Germany and the rest of Europe.

How This Helps EV Charging Infrastructure

The Flexpole charging stations can offer a significant solution for a major hurdle in infrastructure expansion. By using an integrated battery system, these chargers can be directly connected to a low-voltage grid without the need for expensive transformers or extensive construction work. This would also help eliminate lengthy installations. 

Furthermore, Flexpole stations provide a charging speed of up to 150 kW, allowing for a range of up to 160 kilometers (99 miles) to be charged in just 10 minutes, depending on the vehicle.

Shell and VW’s Work on Expanding Charging Networks

Shell has been actively expanding its charging network throughout Germany and the United States, aligning with its goal of achieving net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. The company has made strategic moves in recent years, acquiring charging providers like NewMotion (now Shell Recharge Solutions) and ubitricity, as well as collaborating with IONITY to establish fast-charging stations along European motorways. Shell aims to have over 500,000 charging points globally by 2025 and 2,500,000 by 2030.

Meanwhile, the Volkswagen Group is focused on developing an intelligent charging and energy ecosystem. Through its subsidiary Elli, the brand offers access to Europe’s largest charging network, comprising over 500,000 charging points across 28 countries. By 2025, the Group aims to establish a global network of 45,000 high-power charging points with outputs of up to 350 kW. They have already connected approximately 15,000 fast-charging points to the grid through partnerships with IONITY, BP, Iberdrola, Electrify America, and CAMS. 

By the end of 2023, an estimated 10,000 HPC charging points will be available in Europe, and up to 25,000 worldwide. The Volkswagen Group’s technology powerhouse, Volkswagen Group Technology, plays a pivotal role in driving these advancements.

Tobias Bahnsen, Head of Shell E-Mobility for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, expressed excitement about the partnership, saying, “With VW’s Elli Flexpole charging stations, we can make an important contribution to expanding the charging infrastructure, especially in locations where fast charging would otherwise be challenging. Shell is already a major provider of charging infrastructure, and we want to enable customers to switch to electric vehicles, reducing CO2 emissions in the transportation sector.”

Together, Shell and the Volkswagen Group are taking significant steps to make EV charging more accessible and efficient, which may help promote more widespread adoption of EVs through a more robust EV charging infrastructure.

SOURCE | IMAGES: VOLKSWAGEN

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