Seamless charging for everyone involved

The challenge: Charging up to 40 vehicles while avoiding load peaks

To achieve its self-imposed goal of reducing emissions, PWO has started with its own vehicle fleet at the company headquarters. The former fleet of 40 combustion engine vehicles has been gradually replaced by battery-electric vehicles.

"Installing the charging infrastructure was the first important step in implementing our sustainability strategy," explains Mario Mainzer, who is responsible for building and energy technology at the Oberkirch headquarters.

Supplying such a large number of electric vehicles with charging power efficiently is a technical challenge—especially on a company site where major consumers are already in operation. In this context, implementing smart control technology to avoid load peaks is absolutely essential.

Implementation: Two steps to 36 AC charging points and one fast charger

In 2022, the first step at the Oberkirch site was the installation of 20 KEBA wall boxes. Thanks to KEBA’s KeContact P30 x-series charging stations, which can be networked in a master/client setup with several KeContact P30 c-series, an effective load management system is possible without the need for additional control components. The total available power is automatically distributed across all charging points. This allowed visitors to conveniently charge their vehicles during their stay at the PWO headquarters, while also supplying the first company and pool vehicles with energy.

As the number of electric vehicles in the fleet continued to grow, a second step became necessary in 2024: 16 additional AC charging stations were installed, resulting in an almost 1:1 ratio between company vehicles and charging points. To ensure the safe operation of now 36 AC charging stations, the electrical installation partner – Elektro Schnurr, an electrical specialist based in Oberkirch – opted for KEBA’s KeContact M20 Charging Management Controller. This solution allows for the control of up to 200 wall boxes, meaning that PWO already has the foundation in place for future expansion of its charging infrastructure.

In addition to the new AC charging stations, PWO now also operates a KEBA DCA10 DC charging station at its Oberkirch site. With 200 kW of charging power, it provides a quick boost of battery range, perfect for guests visiting the company for only a short time.