Growth market: HEIDELBERG starts series production of new charging station for public car parks

• AC charging station compliant with calibration law with two charging points up to 22 kW charging power
• First charging station with TÜV certification “DIN tested barrier-free”
• Ready for upcoming credit card terminal requirement
• Affordable installation and high backend compatibility
• First deliveries to commercial customers

Whether supermarket car parks, multi-storey car parks or charging parks – the more electric cars there are on German roads, the more public charge points are needed. A study by the National Centre for Charging Infrastructure1 (Nationale Leitstelle Ladeinfrastruktur) puts the number at up to 840,000 by 2030. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG) intends to benefit from this rapidly increasing demand. HEIDELBERG has already successfully delivered the first AC charging stations compliant with calibration law from its subsidiary Amperfied GmbH to customers – an important milestone on the way to establishing itself as a solution provider for charging infrastructure projects. The connect.public charging station offers two charge points with an output of up to 22 kW per charge point, making it ideal for public car parks, companies, retailers, hotels and municipalities. Its barrier-free design, which has been certified by TÜV, enables easy access also for people with limited mobility.

"Around a third of car owners in Germany do not have an allocated parking space in the immediate vicinity of their home. They rely on public and semi-public charging infrastructure. Therefore, it’s crucial to expand the charging infrastructure for the public sector now, following the installation of charging stations in private homes," says Dr Ludwin Monz, CEO of HEIDELBERG. To ensure that people without a wallbox at home can also use electric cars, Germany needs high-performance charging stations along the motorways and, in particular, a nationwide network of medium-sized public charging stations in multi-storey car parks and residential areas. With around 100,000 registered public charging stations today, availability is still far from meeting demand.

Davide Ghione, CEO of Amperfied GmbH, adds: "connect.public is an important milestone on our way to becoming a comprehensive charging infrastructure solution provider. This charging station, with its ergonomic and barrier-free design, makes charging accessible to everyone, significantly reducing the barriers to electric mobility. Its clever design enables fast deployment and cost-effective operation, reducing barriers for operators."

First deliveries directly to commercial customers

Since the start of series production, Amperfied GmbH has delivered charging stations to customers such as e-mobility provider deer GmbH, BürgerEnergieGenossenschaft Kraichgau eG and CEV Technologies d.o.o.

TÜV-certified barrier-free access and easy operation

connect.public is barrier-free according to DIN 18040-3 and is the first charging station to be awarded the "DIN-Geprüft barrierefrei" (DIN tested barrier-free) mark by TÜV Rheinland. Its ergonomic design allows wheelchair users to easily access and operate the charging sockets, display and RFID identification field.
Operation is simple and intuitive using RFID cards, QR codes or a charging app (depending on the operator). The large 10-inch colour display provides additional instructions and shows the current charging status.
In addition, connect.public is ready for Plug & Charge according to ISO 15118, which makes charging even easier: plug in the cable and the charging station automatically recognises the vehicle and the associated charging contract.

Ready for the upcoming credit card terminal requirement

connect.public is ready for the requirements of the German charging station ordinance (LSV), which stipulates a credit card terminal for ad-hoc charging from 1 July 2024. An optional external card terminal enables ad-hoc charging without registration or an app–contactless and secure with credit and debit cards or mobile payment. The terminal can control any number of charging points and supports common OCPP backend systems. In addition, the connect.public charging station is cost-effective to install and highly compatible with common back-end systems.

Fast deployment thanks to certified production in compliance with calibration law

Production at the HEIDELBERG main plant in Wiesloch-Walldorf has been certified by the VDE (Verband der Elektrotechnik Elektronik Informationstechnik e. V.) as compliant with German calibration law (Eichrecht) in accordance with Module D. With Module D, the charging stations can be put into use without the need for final acceptance by the calibration office.

The connect.public charging station can now be ordered directly from Amperfied GmbH and is supplied with or without installation services as required. A customised wrapping of the charging station is available as an option.

Important Notice:
This press release contains forward-looking statements based on assumptions and estimations by the Management Board of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft. Even though the Management Board is of the opinion that those assumptions and estimations are realistic, the actual future development and results may deviate substantially from these forward-looking statements due to various factors, such as changes in the macro-economic situation, in the exchange rates, in the interest rates, and in the print media industry. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft gives no warranty and does not assume liability for any damages in case the future development and the projected results do not correspond with the forward-looking statements contained in this press release.