Bechtle continues to drive sustainable mobility

• Charging points for electric and hybrid vehicles doubled at Bechtle headquarters in Neckarsulm
• Dramatic expansion of charging infrastructure across DACH sites
• 50 VW ID.3 added to company fleet

Bechtle AG is creating the infrastructure required to embed further electric vehicles into its fleet, planning a medium-term jump from 80 charging points at the Bechtle Group’s German locations to up to 300 across Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Coinciding with this advance is the addition of 50 VW ID.3 all-electric cars to the company’s fleet in Germany. Unified and efficient load management as well as the use of renewable energy at select sites complement the IT provider’s sustainable mobility strategy.

Along with the company headquarters’ multi-storey employee car park that opened three years ago, Bechtle had realised the first significant extension of its charging infrastructure to some 60 charging points, powered with renewable energy from the photovoltaic system installed on the car park roof. The next extension will now see the number of available charging points at Bechtle Platz 1 more than double to some 140, while additional solar modules installed on both the new and existing office buildings will boost solar energy production by 560 kilowatt peak (kWp) to a total output of around 1,900 kWp.

At the same time, Bechtle will create new charging infrastructure for its electric fleet at 18 of the group’s sites in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Once the current expansion stage concludes in 2021, the Bechtle Group will count some 300 charging points in these countries. “Our goal is to build charging infrastructure at all our German locations where this is feasible, as well as in Austria and Switzerland over the coming two years,” says Uli Drautz, Head of Corporate Controlling, Bechtle AG. 

Smart charging infrastructure

Technology company, The Mobility House, will provide the required charging stations complete with software-based charge and energy management to make sure they integrate efficiently and affordably into the Bechtle grid. “What’s special about this project is that we are creating a smart charging infrastructure at each one of the selected locations that will conform to Germany’s calibration law. And it’s smart in that it will dynamically manage the load depending on available power. Plus, there will be a monitoring feature analysing the charge per vehicle to tie in with Bechtle’s sustainability strategy,” says Sebastian Karrer, Head of Key Account Management, The Mobility House.

New all-electric cars for the Bechtle fleet

Since November, Bechtle’s fleet in Germany includes 50 VW ID.3 electric cars, and by the end of 2020, around 15 per cent of the 3,600 or so company vehicles in Germany will be either plug-in hybrids or all-electric, surpassing the target set in the Bechtle Sustainability Report 2019 by 10 per cent.

“Tomorrow really is today at Bechtle. Just like our own products and services, our vehicle fleet is poised for the future and advancing with great strategic strides. The new all-electric ID.3 is the perfect, forward-thinking addition to our motor pool, and a true Volkswagen to boot: polished design, state-of-the-art technology, and ready for daily use as a company car,” says Ralf Weichselbaum, Head of Fleet and Direct Customers, Volkswagen.