Munich’s award organisers have unveiled the shortlist for The smarter E Award 2026, with winners to be named on the eve of The smarter E Europe in Munich on 22 June. Solar Promotion has framed this year’s edition against the geopolitical backdrop, from the war in Iran to the lingering effects of the wider energy crisis, presenting renewables as both climate policy and a hedge against fossil fuel exposure. The ceremony is free to attend. The exhibition runs from 23 to 25 June at Messe München.
The smarter E Award 2026: Storage nominees
In E-mobility, the shortlist reflects current priorities in charging technology: higher power, better efficiency and a closer link between vehicles and the wider energy system. The finalists range from charging-as-a-service models and AI-based scheduling tools to hardware designed for logistics fleets, municipal operators and megawatt charging.
E-mobility finalists include:
- Amperfied (Germany): Amperfied Uptime+, a charging-as-a-service model
- Fraunhofer IVI (Germany): Underbody charging system, an automated charging solution aimed at logistics and municipal vehicle fleets
- HagerEnergy (Germany): Bidirectional edsn EV charger, designed to integrate electric vehicles as energy storage systems for supplying buildings
- Hive Power (Switzerland): FLEXO, a software platform that turns smart charging into a flexibility product
- LEM International (Switzerland): DCES series, a new generation of DC meters for fast-charging and megawatt charging applications
- OPES Solar Mobility (Germany): OSM 60/875 MPPT, a DC/DC converter
- Peblar (Netherlands): Peblar Dual, an EV charger with two Type 2 charging points
- Pleevi (Belgium): Pleevi smart charging scheduling engine, which uses AI to optimise charging
- Tritium Power Solutions (Great Britain): TRI-FLEX, a distributed fast-charging system with integrated battery storage
- Vector Informatik (Germany): Smart charging connector, enabling the use of charging cables up to 100 m long for trucks and buses
The e-mobility category is a snapshot of a sector moving beyond the charger towards higher-power hardware, smarter control and closer integration with buildings, fleets and the grid. (TF)
