E-mobility and electric charging stations : Markus Groll from Ionity decodes the issues

What's Ionity's objective?

We’re developing a high-power charging network enabling drivers of electric vehicles to make long-distance road journeys throughout Europe. This is a very important milestone in e-mobility, because it means any car fitted with a CCS Combo connector can use our stations, which have a charging capacity of 350 kW. To roll out this network, in early 2018 we put out a European call for tenders, and the SPIE bid stood out from the rest. We were impressed by their track record and attractive offering, plus the fact that they operate in several European countries, which is obviously going to make things easier for us.

How can this ambitious goal be achieved?

Our initial experience has been very positive: SPIE is a highly efficient and well organised company. They’re prompt and reliable at motorway sites, and they meet the specified delivery dates. These are essential criteria for us, because we have to manage a highly complex logistics chain. They really know what they’re doing, and in many ways we’re actually learning from them. Each site has its own specific challenges, as regards layout, surface areas and regulations set by partner service stations or motorway companies. SPIE has the flexibility and logistics efficiency needed to adapt to each different situation. For example, all the materials are on site in advance, ready for work to tart, meaning teams are never held up by supplier delays.

SPIE in the Smart city –Inspired by Marcus Groll from Ionity

E-mobility is one of the drivers to facilitate the transformation of urban communities and the emergence of the smart city. Ionity calls upon SPIE’s proven Europe-wide know-how to roll out its European network of 400 electric charging stations.

Ionity is a joint venture company of 4 car manufacturers, namely: BMW, Daimler, Ford and Volkswagen Group. The plan of Ionity is to build up 400 high power charging stations across Europe, in 24 countries, until 2020.

Your partnership with SPIE

The partnership with SPIE is very important for us, because SPIE is a partner for us in many countries and SPIE is mainly doing the construction and installation work for all our high power charging stations along the motorways.

Your main challenges

We see three main challenges for electric vehicles. The first one is the range of the cars which has to increase in the future. Second one is the charging capabilities, especially the high power charging to allow long-distance driving with electric cars. And the third one are the cost of the cars, the prices of the cars which have to decrease to make it affordable to everybody to drive an electric cars.

What do you expect from your partners?

SPIE is a very important construction and installation partner for us which will allow us to reach our targets to build up the 400 charging stations in 2020. We work with SPIE on many sites in parallel. It is very important for us that our partners, like SPIE, are very reliable and efficient in the processes.