Swiss Consortium Builds ‘Mega Charging Station’

Designwerk Technologies AG based in Winterthur is building a novel charging station of the megawatt class. It is intended to enable the fast charging of electric trucks within 45 minutes. The collaborative demonstration project aims to make electric trucks suitable for long distances and relieve the grid. The technical basis is a new charging standard for heavy commercial vehicles.

(Winterthur) Designwerk Technologies AG is currently developing one of the first megawatt charging stations worldwide. In spring 2023, the container-format charging station is set to charge electric trucks for the first time. It is expected to be up to six times faster than conventional high-performance charging stations with 350 kilowatts of power. Integrated battery buffers are intended to avoid peak loads. Furthermore, the goal is for the charging stations to behave in a grid-friendly manner. The scientific support for these technical developments is provided by the Federal Office of Energy (BFE) as well as by renowned industry partners. On the research side, Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) and Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences (OST) are involved in the project.

Charging Infrastructure for Commercial Vehicles is Essential

Heavy-duty transport is crucial for the energy transition and achieving climate goals. Approximately 6.6 million trucks are in operation on the roads of Europe. They transport 76.7 percent of all goods on land. Consequently, it is also necessary to increase the share of low-emission or zero-emission transport means. “Especially for long-distance trucks, as well as for ships and airplanes, novel charging infrastructure is needed. It differs from the infrastructure for electric passenger cars and allows heavy commercial vehicles to be charged in a short time. This helps achieve emissions-free freight transport in all application areas,” explains Vivien Dettwiler, a member of the management board of Designwerk. To ensure that the system gains the necessary acceptance, it adheres to the new charging standard Megawatt Charging System, or MCS for short. This was launched internationally in June of this year.

Supply Security as a Project Component

The realization that powerful charging stations strain the grid is a fundamental part of the project’s initial situation. Therefore, the demonstration operation aims to show ways in which a high-performance charging network and supply security can go hand in hand. “In our charging containers, we use second-life electric truck batteries as buffers to prevent peak loads. This not only eliminates the need for grid expansion: the storage should even be able to feed renewable electricity back into the grid,” says Dettwiler. Similar to bidirectional charging, electromobility can thus be utilized as part of supply solutions. Demonstration facilities at Galliker Transport AG, Käppeli Logistik, and Murg Flums Energie are expected to prove that this works.

Photo: © Designwerk Technologies AG