- The charging station for electric vehicles that uses energy storage based in second life batteries from Irizar e-mobility is up and running.
- This charging point for electric vehicles is the first one in Spain that uses energy storage based in second life batteries and it has been developed by Repsol and Ibil.
The charging point has been installed in a Repsol service station on the N-I road where it goes through the city of Tolosa in Gipuzkoa.
Irizar e-mobility and Ibil, pioneering companies in the development of electric mobility, signed a collaboration agreement to give a second life to electric bus batteries. Consequently, the batteries that Irizar produces and installs in its buses, and their power electronics, will be reused as energy storage elements in the charging facilities that Ibil is developing and deploying for Repsol service stations and others.
One of the first results of that collaboration has been installing and commissioning the first 50 kW charging station for electric vehicles with an energy storage system based on second-life batteries from Irizar e-mobility. Ingeteam, Cidetec and Gureak also collaborated on the project. The latter company employs people with disabilities from Gipuzkoa and they carried out the entire industrial assembly of the storage module. The project also had support from the Basque government and the Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa through the Hazitek and SmartMobility Industry R&D programmes, respectively.
This technological and industrial development simplifies and facilitates the installation of 50 kW charging points in locations that do not have enough electrical power or where the cost of investment in the grid makes other alternatives unfeasible.
These are the main advantages this project provides:
- It makes it possible to install quick charging points (50 kW) in places where it would otherwise not be feasible because of a lack of sufficient electrical power or where, even if it is viable, the technical difficulties of connecting to the grid would require an excessive increase in investment.
- The power of the grid needed to provide services is reduced by 70%. A 50 kW quick charging point can thus be put into operation using only a 15 kW grid connection.
- It can be installed almost anywhere because of the small footprint of the storage module, which is less than a square metre.
- Infrastructure operating costs can be lowered significantly, by up to 50% primarily due to needing a lower power service.
- It provides a second life to electric bus batteries and promotes sustainability and the circular economy.
The technical difficulties of installations in places where installing electric charging points is ideal in terms of mobility, like service stations, can be overcome with an innovative solution that provides autonomy and efficiency to the charging system and it also integrates with local distributed generation and self-consumption.
Installing this charging station is another step forwards in Irizar e-mobility’s commitment to the circular economy. Deeply committed to the environment and sustainability, their goal is to shift to a business model based on making the best use of resources and reducing the use of raw materials.
It is the first European electromobility plant where 100% electric zero-emissions short range buses and trucks and charging infrastructures are manufactured. Irizar e-mobility also manufactures and develops its own batteries.
The current line of vehicles includes three models, the Irizar ie bus, Irizar ie tram and Irizar ie truck.
Their electric vehicles have been on the road since 2014 in several European cities.
Irizar e-mobility is entirely committed to the environment and wants to contribute to the energy transition. They have invested in the largest solar farm in the Basque Country so they can use the solar energy generated there for manufacturing their vehicles and thus minimise their environmental impact.
Images courtesy of Irizar e-mobility