Swiss consortium builds “mega charging station”

19.12.2022 – Winterthur-based Designwerk Technologies AG is building a new type of charging station in the megawatt class. It should enable fast charging of electric trucks within 45 minutes. The partnership-based demonstration project aims to make e-trucks suitable for long journeys and relieve the strain on networks. The technical basis is a new charging standard for heavy commercial vehicles.

Designwerk Technologies AG is currently building one of the world’s first megawatt charging stations. The charging station in container format is set to charge electric trucks for the first time in spring 2023. It is said to be up to six times faster than conventional 350 kW high-performance charging stations. Integrated battery buffers are designed to avoid load peaks. The aim is also for the charging stations to be grid-friendly. The scientific support for these technical developments is provided by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) and renowned industrial partners. On the research side, the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) and the University of Applied Sciences of Eastern Switzerland (OST) are involved in the project.

Charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles essential

Heavy goods traffic is of key importance for the energy transition and achieving climate targets. Around 6.6 million trucks are in use on Europe’s roads. They transport 76.7% of all freight on land. Consequently, the proportion of low-emission or emission-free means of transportation must also be increased here. “A new type of charging infrastructure is needed for long-distance trucks, ships and aircraft in particular. It differs from the infrastructure for electric cars and makes it possible to charge heavy commercial vehicles in a short time. This helps to ensure that zero-emission freight transport reaches all areas of application,” explains Vivien Dettwiler, member of the Designwerk management team. To ensure that the system meets with the necessary acceptance, it is based on the new Megawatt Charging System (MCS) charging standard. This was launched internationally in June of this year.

Security of supply as a project component

The realization that high-performance charging stations require networks is an integral part of the initial project situation. The demonstration plant is therefore intended to show ways in which a high-performance charging network and security of supply can go hand in hand. “We install Second Life e-truck batteries in our charging containers as a buffer to prevent peak loads. This not only eliminates the need to expand the grid: the storage system should even be able to feed renewable electricity back into the grid,” says Dettwiler. Similar to bidirectional charging, electromobility can thus be used as part of supply solutions. Demonstration systems at Galliker Transport AG, Käppeli Logistik and Murg Flums Energie will prove that this works.