Einride opens electric truck charging park in Sweden
The opening of Einride’s first ‘Smartcharger Station’ in Sweden is part of a collaboration with infrastructure developer and investor Polar Structure. According to the transport service provider, it marks the start of Einride’s global provision of charging infrastructure for heavy goods vehicles.
A total of nine charging points are available on-site at the start – five charging points in the ‘Charge & Go’ area for fast charging and four charging points in the second area ‘Charge & Park’ for slow charging overnight. Equipped with a load management system, it should be possible to charge eight electric trucks simultaneously at the site. Einride does not explain why only eight of the nine charging points can be used simultaneously. However, the solution to the puzzle could be that two fast chargers have been installed in the “Charge & Go” area in one of the four parking bays – one HPC on each side.
The Swedish company has also not commented on the hardware supplier and the available power of the individual charging points. Nevertheless, the press photos show that the five high-power chargers are from Kempower. The displays also show an output of 240 kW. Einride also leaves open who supplied the other four charging options for the ‘Charge & Park’ area and what charging power they provide.
The Swedish service provider revealed more details about the location itself: The design was based on the experience and needs of the drivers. For example, interactive lighting was integrated to help drivers find their way around, drawing attention to available chargers at the site and displaying the charging status of a vehicle. The drivers’ lounge at the site not only offers toilets, showers and a kitchenette, but also serves as a place where the drivers are kept up to date on the charging status, current charging capacity or remaining time via the screens in the lounge.
Materials from the region were used in the construction of the partially covered location. The protective barriers between the charging stations, for example, are made of Bohus granite from the west coast of Sweden. The roof is made of wood, which also comes from Sweden. The necessary energy is supplied by wind turbines. A switch to hydropower is planned for the coming months. Einride leaves further details about the energy supply open. Another detail: it is possible to dismantle the site and rebuild it at another location.
The one charging park is not the end of the story: In order to meet the increasing demand for suitable charging infrastructure in heavy goods transport, further Smartcharger stations are planned, the development of which was partly financed by Klimatklivet and NextGenerationEU.
Smaller locations have already been set up in Borås, Markaryd and Ljungby. The next large station is due to go online in Varberg in 2024 and will serve as a central pioneer for the “Nordic Link Grid”, which connects the Nordic countries with mainland Europe.
Einride is also planning a large charging park in the USA. 65 charging points are to be built near the port of Los Angeles. Exact details of the construction, scope and performance data of the site are not yet known.
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