Compleo places strategic focus on AC BiDi charging
“As part of the Kostal Group, the company is sharpening its focus,” Compleo writes in a statement. The realignment aims to “transform the challenges of a matured e-mobility market into opportunities for growth and innovation” – with the aforementioned focus on innovations such as BiDi charging. Although the two companies had already announced this in principle at the beginning of May, the outcome for Compleo is now becoming clearer.
The realignment will primarily affect the product range and technical development. “Hardware solutions remain a key pillar of the portfolio, while Compleo collaborates with KOSTAL to advance integrated systems that will play a vital role in the energy and mobility transition from 2028 onwards,” according to Compleo. The charging hardware will therefore be developed in-house and manufactured within the Kostal Group, while synergies with the parent company will be exploited for the software and connection to the energy market. A few weeks ago, the company announced the closure of its production sites in Dortmund Wickede and Wambel, resulting in the loss of around 20 per cent of jobs. At the beginning of September, it was announced that production would be “completely outsourced to existing Kostal Group locations” in the future.
In its latest announcement on its realignment, the company is very specific about its products, but not about their production locations: The DUO AC charging station will remain “a central cornerstone of the product strategy” and will continue to be developed—in other words, Compleo’s own AC charging station with two connections, which is primarily intended for public and semi-public areas. This also means that the other AC products, especially the wallboxes, have no future. “As part of the realignment, the eBOX and SOLO AC charging boxes will remain available to order until early 2026… beyond this period, the focus will shift to new products,” Compleo announced. Compleo developed the SOLO for the growing market surrounding German wallbox subsidies, while the eBOX became part of the company as part of the takeover of innogy eMobility Solutions.
In addition, the CITO 500 AC/DC charging station will no longer be part of the active portfolio. “However, existing devices will continue to be fully serviced and maintained,” says Compleo. In the DC sector, the company plans to focus on a different product in the future: “The HPC eTower 200 will remain actively offered for various use cases”
For Compleo, this is the second realignment of its product strategy within a few years. In November 2022, the then new CEO Jörg Lohr had thinned out the portfolio, which had grown bloated over the years, and presented the “Big Five” concept in an electrive interview – five product lines with five variants each instead of the previous 347 products. Part of the “Big Five” strategy was also the eTower 200, which was not yet available at the time. After the company filed for insolvency under its own administration at the end of 2022 and was taken over by the Kostal Group in 2023, Lohr initially remained CEO but left the company this year.
The new strategy, which was developed by his successor Björn Dietrich, further simplifies the product range—as well as the structures and processes behind the scenes. “The streamlined product portfolio serves as the foundation for not only delivering modern and sustainable charging solutions to customers but also elevating the overall service experience. Process optimisation measures already implemented have significantly reduced response times,” Compleo reports. “Another key pillar of this realignment is the sales structure. Specialised teams are being established, especially in the DACH region, to enable closer customer interaction through local contacts. These targeted measures ensure that market needs are addressed precisely, with customers receiving direct support from Germany.” The consequences of this measure are already visible abroad: Compleo Charging Solutions UK ceased operations in September, and existing customers will be served from Germany.
“With our strategic approach, ‘Evolution through Focus,’ Compleo is actively shaping the future of e-mobility. The matured market provides us with exciting opportunities to set new standards through innovations and comprehensive solutions,” explains CEO Björn Dietrich. “In these times of transformation, we remain a strong provider of charging infrastructure, offering our customers innovative products, top-quality service, and dedicated support. Integration into the KOSTAL Group secures our financial stability and strategic strength, allowing us to be a reliable partner during this transition – with proven solutions for the present and pioneering innovations for the challenges of tomorrow.”
This article was originally published by Sebastian Schaal for electrive’s German edition
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