Berlin, 28 September 2009

This week, Norwegian energy supplier Eidsiva commenced operation of the first ‘intelligent’ charging station for electric vehicles in Gjøvik (Oppland Province), which is supplied by global market leader Coulomb Technologies. Apart from the one in Gjøvik, Coulomb’s European sales partner, the 365 Energy Group, will install another three ChargePoint™ stations in Lillehammer and Hamar.

The owner and operator of the charging stations is Eidsiva Vekst AS who is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eidsiva Energi AS. Eidsiva Energi is one of Norway’s largest energy corporations, and has its head-office in Hamar. Eidsiva Energi has over 900 employees.

Christian Forø from Eidsiva explains the company’s commitment: “We want to be the driving force in the field of e-mobility in Norway and networked charging stations installed by 365 Energy Group are a step in the right direction.”

Hong Thieu, CFO of the 365 Energy Group, is delighted about the progress achieved in developing the e-mobility infrastructure: “The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and now Norway – I am very optimistic that the ChargePoint charging stations will soon be available in all European countries. We want to help in putting more electric vehicles on the roads with a well-developed, user-friendly infrastructure.”

The network-controlled ChargePoint stations

Coulomb’s ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations provide far more than simple electricity filling stations: the ‘fuel pumps’ are connected to a network that allows remote monitoring of the charging stations. This enables drivers to find nearby charging stations via a Google Map where they can see if they are available for use. Drivers are also alerted via text message when charging is complete. The charging stations network technology also safely processes the drivers’ subscription at the stations for payment.

Charging station owners  can find out the real-time operational status of the stations, see how much electricity has been consumed, subscribe to various notifications about charging station behavior, and generate usage  reports.

Drivers access the ChargePoint Network by holding their Smart Ccard – an electronic key – over the front panel of the charging station. After plugging in their vehicles, the charging station’s door closes, securing the driver’s cord until charging is complete.

“The fact that the intelligent charging stations are connected together in a network enables the services to be adapted to user needs,” says Christian Forø from Eidsiva, summing up the advantages. “When the number of e-vehicles grows, the ChargePoint station functions will enable drivers to drive with greater efficiency.”

365 Energy Group – Changing the way people move

The 365 Energy Group, with headquarters in Berlin, Eindhoven and Milan, is considered a pioneer in the e-mobility industry. The company provides innovative charging stations with integrated network technology – a completely new and holistic approach to charging electric vehicles. This technology was developed by Coulomb Technologies, the global market leader in electric vehicle infrastructure. 365 Energy is the international partner of Coulomb Technologies and an investment management company belonging to Estag Capital AG in Berlin.