With 574 publicly accessible charging points per 100 km², the canton of Basel-Stadt leads Switzerland and offers more than twice as many public charging opportunities as the second-ranked canton of Geneva in this category (as of October 2023). Is Basel the mecca of electromobility in Switzerland?
We are very pleased that there is a keen interest in electromobility in Basel. Of course, the role of the canton of Basel-Stadt is a major factor here. It wants to provide good framework conditions for electromobility as well as for sharing offers. We at IWB want to contribute to this with a good offering for public charging as well as with attractive solutions in the private sector, such as in the many multi-family buildings in the region.
What does electromobility mean for IWB as a company?
A major goal of IWB is the consistent reduction of CO2 emissions. As an implementation measure, we promote electromobility and are actively working on further expansion of charging infrastructures. Electromobility is a central component of our sustainability efforts.
In which areas are you particularly active?
We offer solutions for individuals and companies in the Basel region and beyond. Here, the electrification of multi-family buildings and parking garages, as well as solutions in residential and industrial areas, play an important role. We have prepared nearly 5,000 parking spaces for electromobility in around 100 multi-family homes. Some parking spaces are ready for charging, others are equipped with Easee Ready, and still others have been initially developed with a flat cable.
In collaboration with the canton of Basel-Stadt, we are also currently working on the implementation of 200 neighborhood charging stations on public grounds. By the end of 2023, we have implemented 59 stations, including five DC charging stations. Another important project we are currently working on is the electrification of the bus fleet of the Basel public transport services.
What are your requirements for the charging solutions you install?
The reliability of the charging stations is the main criterion. We want to provide users with a good charging experience, which can only be achieved with products that can guarantee stability. Moreover, it is very important for us to have a competent contact person who assists us in planning charging infrastructures and also during operation. For the rapidly growing area of private charging infrastructures, we have found a solution with Easee's products that meets these requirements. Additionally, with Simplee as a partner by our side, we are assured of competent and quick assistance with all our concerns.
What advantages do Easee's charging solutions offer to your customers?
We have had particularly positive experiences in the area of multi-family homes with large parking garages. The solution also works flawlessly in single-family homes, but its full potential becomes especially apparent in larger charging infrastructures. When dozens of vehicles need to be charged simultaneously at a single location, we require a reliable charging and load management system that also takes into account the energy consumption of the rest of the property. Easee offers a solution with its charging robots - particularly in combination with the Easee Equalizer - that can be easily implemented and ensures satisfied users.
Satisfied users - satisfied operators? How do your requirements differ from those of your customers?
While customers, for instance, greatly appreciate the price-performance ratio and user-friendliness of Easee's charging robots, we are pleased with aspects that are not immediately apparent to end-users. For example, the three-stage charging and load management makes a costly and time-consuming increase in the power capacity of the house connection unnecessary. In addition, we are glad about the integrated unbalanced load management. This helps to reduce unbalanced loads in the network.
What are the next steps for IWB in the field of electromobility?
We aim to establish ourselves further as a reliable and competent provider of charging solutions in Northwestern Switzerland. Additionally, the combination with related topics such as photovoltaics and ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle) billing services is important to us; here, we want to offer attractive propositions to our customers. The topic of bidirectional charging is certainly an exciting point and could also become significant for the stabilization of power grids.
