Leclanché to develop battery storage solution for Fastned’s network of fast charging stations
YVERDON LES BAINS, Switzerland, 19th September 2017: Leclanché SA (SIX: LECN), one of the world’s leading energy storage solution companies, announced today a partnership with Fastned, the Dutch company pioneering the roll-out of fast charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) in Europe. Leclanché will develop a battery storage solution for Fastned’s fast charging electric vehicle stations, starting with a pilot at two locations.
Fastned has built and is operating 63 fast charging EV stations in the Netherlands. The company’s strategy is use its Dutch network as a blueprint to roll-out fast charging stations across Europe and it is expanding quickly: in April, Fastned signed an agreement with Transport for London to become a partner for the development of the city's 300 fast charging points by 2020, and in September the company was awarded a subsidy of €4.1 million by the German government to build 25 fast charging stations.
Anil Srivastava, CEO of Leclanché, said: “Fastned is one of the most advanced fast charging organisations in the world and we are delighted to become the company’s energy storage partner. Our flexible and scalable battery solutions enable us to support businesses in a wide range of situations, from our work with Fastned to vast grid-scale projects such as in Canada, where we are building North America’s largest fast charging network, to electric buses and ferries, through to creating battery swap solutions for small vehicles in countries where grids may be less reliable.
”Michiel Langezaal, Founder and CEO, Fastned, said: “Leclanché has been leading innovation in energy storage for many years and is the ideal partner for us to develop a battery storage service for our rapidly growing network in Europe. The pilot project will showcase the technology and provide the data to support financing the roll out of Leclanché’s batteries throughout our network.”
Leclanché will provide scalable battery energy storage systems (BESS) for Fastned, using large-format lithium-ion batteries. This storage system will allow Fastned to deploy multiple high powered chargers per site while reducing the strain on the grid. The battery acts as a buffer between the electricity grid and the vehicles charging. It will also allow Fastned to store the solar energy from its solar roofs on-site. Leclanché’s system will recharge the battery storage units during off-peak times at considerable cost-savings and reduction in stress to the grid. Leclanche and Fastned will make fast charging smart while improving the customer experience.
Fastned’s highway charging stations have up to eight fast chargers, delivering a full charge within 20 minutes. Its city stations have up to four fast chargers. Payment is via an app.