ABB has received a further major order from energy supplier, EnBW for the expansion of the charging column network on German motorways.

By the end of 2017, ABB will have delivered an additional 117 rapid-charging columns at the locations of service station operator Tank & Rast.

The latest generation of charging columns is connected to the Internet via a cloud solution, enabling cashless payments, among other things.

Last year, EnBW awarded an order to ABB for 68 such rapid-charging stations with a high-charging capacity of 50 kilowatts (kW). With this latest order, ABB is further expanding its position in the charging infrastructure for electric mobility in Germany.

“This latest major order demonstrates ABB is also the preferred partner in the charging infrastructure sector for electric and hybrid vehicles in Germany,” said ABB CEO, Ulrich Spiesshofer.

“This is why we are delighted that EnBW has once again chosen our products in this forward-looking project. The need to rapidly expand the charging infrastructure network has once again been shown during this year’s International Motor Show in Frankfurt, where nearly all automotive companies have announced a massive expansion of their electric vehicle ranges.”

ABB has been investing in electromobility since the turn of the century. Since 2010, the group has been offering rapid charging solutions. More than 5,000 networked systems for passenger cars and commercial vehicles have been installed worldwide.

ABB’s portfolio in DC fast charging solutions ranges from 20kW wall boxes to Ultra-Fast Charging solutions for cars and 600kW electric buses.

The fast-charging stations, which are now being installed in cooperation with EnBW, have a charging capacity of 50 kW and are very compact, which makes them suitable for highway rest stops, service stations, car dealerships, business locations and highly frequented inner-city areas.

The charging stations can be installed in almost every parking configuration and vehicles can be recharged within 30 minutes.

ABB Connected Services offers round-the-clock monitoring of each individual charging station overseen by a team from its Network Operating Centre.

Internet-based services – based on Microsoft‘s Azure cloud computing platform – enable predictive control, which leads to a reduction in operating costs and increased uptime.