Supporting Zunder’s expansion and electrifying France’s highways
In summer 2024, Zunder, one of Spain’s leading charge point operators (CPOs), reinforced its presence in France with the help of Kempower. Zunder specializes in ultra-fast charging and its highway charging network aims to enable EV drivers to travel long distances without needing to worry about where they’ll charge or for how long.
Kempower has been powering Zunder’s charging stations with its technology since 2022 , with the electrification of many of the CPO’s charging stations in Spain. When Zunder began the extension of its growing charging network into the French market last year, it once again called upon Kempower’s market leading DC fast chargers to provide the technical excellence needed to operate a fast-paced highway charge point.
Charging hubs at the heart of the motorway network
During July 2024, two large charging stations were launched in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France along two highways: Val-de-Cher, on the A85 motorway, and Bourges-Marmagne, on the A71 motorway. They each comprised 25 Kempower Charging Satellites with an ultra-fast power output of up to 400kW and allow the recharging of both electric cars and caravans. The stations are amongst the largest on the French highway network.
Zunder opted for charging stations equipped with a large number of charge points in order to ensure customers who are traveling don’t need to wait for a space and incur additional stop time, including during the peak summer season when more people are driving long distances for holidays.
We have an important part to play in laying the groundwork for mass adoption of EVs and we’re committed to offering only the most efficient equipment on the market as we do this.”
Zunder secured the project after bidding for a public tender from VINCI Autoroutes, one of France’s largest highway operators. The locations of the charge points reflected Zunder and Vinci’s missions to build a network of charging points along highways and Kempower’s technology went hand-in-hand with this.
Ignasi Crespo, Head of International Business at Zunder, said: “We want to drive forward a charging solution that allows more EV drivers to feel confident and comfortable taking longer journeys in their cars by providing the infrastructure they need, where they need it. The project, at the heart of the motorway network, corresponded exactly with our core expertise so we were delighted to be chosen by VINCI Autoroutes.”
He continued: “To deliver valuable charging options for highway drivers, we needed a charging technology with the ability to offer short charging times and support quick stops. Our previous experience of working with Kempower told us that their solutions had the high power, reliability and efficiency to support our vision for charging stations which make life easier for EV drivers on highways.”
Eleanor Lopez, Head of Commercial Installations Development at VINCI Autoroutes, added: “The transport sector accounts for 30% of greenhouse gas emissions, and road transport represents 95% of these emissions. This is why VINCI Autoroutes has decided to equip 100% of its highway service areas with electric charging stations. The stations at Val-de-Cher and Bourges-Marmagne contribute to the connectivity of the highway network and will set the groundwork for more drivers to transition to EVs in the years ahead, with a view to significantly reducing these emissions.”
Small but mighty: powerful charging that comes in little packages
Zunder’s main requirement was infrastructure that could recharge an electric vehicle in around 30 minutes, a typical rest stop duration for long-distance drivers using restroom or refreshment services. Kempower’s Power Unit and Satellite configuration proved a high quality option to serve this goal.
The distributed power sharing element of the technology means that the power being delivered by the 600kW Power Unit can be dynamically shifted to the vehicles that need it, offering up to 400kW per plug at any one time. It means that charging time is constantly optimized for each connected vehicle, reducing charging times and keeping queues at an absolute minimum.
But where is all of this power stored?
Zunder was also keen to ensure that the charging infrastructure could be configured in a way that was space efficient, easy to access and user friendly, given the limited available space at the two highway service areas. The EV charging infrastructure needed to be integrated with existing rest stop facilities so the positioning of the equipment during installation needed to be optimal for retaining parking space.
Ignasi said: “Kempower’s Satellites have a very small product footprint while delivering significant charging power. The flexibility of the system also means that the Kempower Power Units can be located up to 80 meters away from the Kempower Satellites, so we keep them in a dedicated technical area away from the charging area, retaining space and preventing noise nuisance for customers. The chargers offer an easy, user-friendly experience for EV drivers and maximize return on investment for us, as we can accommodate many customers in a relatively small space.”
Access to quality charging will drive the e-mobility transition
Zunder takes a customer-centric view, not only when it comes to its own charge point operations, but also when looking more broadly at the electrification of mobility.
Its market research ahead of the French expansion told the team that, excluding price and location, EV drivers prioritize charger availability, reliability, power and ease of use when choosing a charge point. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the decision of which charging provider to work with was such an important one.
Ignasi commented: “We are still in the early stages of the e-mobility adoption curve and the need to develop reliable infrastructure to give future EV drivers the confidence to transition – while also supporting existing EV drivers to have a seamless experience – underpins our mission as a CPO. We have an important part to play in laying the groundwork for mass adoption of EVs and we’re committed to offering only the most efficient equipment on the market as we do this.”He added: “As demand undoubtedly increases in the coming years, we look forward to continuing our collaboration with Kempower and further expanding our offering for EV drivers in France, including expanding these two stations in the future.”
