Emaldo has switched on Sweden's first two ZOE DC fast chargers at a site in Rockneby, Kalmar Municipality, on the E22 highway, delivering 360kW of combined charging capacity from a grid connection rated at a mere 63A. Conventional 360kW DC charging installations would normally require a substantially larger grid connection, but Emaldo's system sidesteps that requirement by pairing the two 180kW ZOE chargers – part of the Z BOX-EV series from ZOE Energy Storage – with 218kWh of integrated battery storage per unit as well as on-site solar generation. The batteries store solar energy and release it when vehicles actually need it, instead of drawing full charging power from the grid in real time, allowing the site to run on a fraction of the grid capacity.
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The man behind the idea
Badie Nabi, a restaurant and store owner in Rockneby, is behind the project, having seen an opportunity to build a new revenue stream while serving his community. "This investment means a lot for rural communities and the environment," he said. "For me, it is also about being part of the solution and contributing to the important transition towards renewable energy and electrification."
The project was made possible through Ladda Landsbygden, a regional initiative funded by Region Kalmar County and local municipalities and managed by Miljöfordon Sverige, which secured 50 percent co-funding through Klimatklivet, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's investment grant scheme. “If we are to succeed in the transition to more electric vehicles across the country, we also need charging opportunities across the entire country, including in rural areas,” said Jonas Lööf, representative for Miljöfordon Sverige and Ladda Landsbygden.
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A template for rural charging
Emaldo managed the project end to end, from energy asset orchestration to installation and commissioning. “Electrification cannot stop at the major cities,” said Henri Stendalen, Emaldo's sales manager. “The energy solutions of the future must work everywhere, even where conditions are different. Rural communities should not have to wait.” Emaldo calls Rockneby a blueprint for rural electrification elsewhere, where grid limits and high connection costs have usually kept high-power charging confined to cities and motorways. (TF)
