Public, Ultra-Fast Charging Builds Trust in E-Mobility
SMATRICS EnBW is setting up 44 ultra-fast charging points at five locations in Austria in the third quarter. Two-thirds of the population already regard fast charging as important.
“By the end of 2025, we will have more than tripled the number of our HPC charging points in Austria in just two years. This will help us build trust in e-mobility and keep it on a growth trajectory,” emphasizes Thomas Landsbek, CEO of SMATRICS EnBW.
SMATRICS is continuing the expansion of the first half of the year and has been able to put 44 ultra-fast charging points (HPC) into operation at five separate locations over the past three months: twelve charging points in Vienna, 18 in Salzburg, eight in Lower Austria, and six in Upper Austria. Further locations are due to go into operation shortly. Almost three-quarters of the charging points have a capacity of 400 kilowatts, enabling a range of 400 kilometers to be charged in just 15 minutes.
Survey Confirms: Demand for Fast Charging Stations is Growing
Plus 121 percent: that's how fast Austria's ultra-fast charging network—i.e., charging points with over 150 kilowatts of power—has grown in just one year. Carinthia is the first federal state to already have more public ultra-fast charging points than fast charging points.
The importance of fast charging is also underlined by a recent Austria-wide survey conducted by TQS on behalf of SMATRICS: for more than two-thirds of respondents, fast charging and price transparency are very or fairly important. Among e-mobilists - i.e., people who own an electric vehicle - this figure is even higher than 90 percent. The ability to reserve a charging spot and the services offered at public charging stations are very or fairly important to half of respondents. Early adopters, often between the ages of 40 and 49, place particularly high demands on a high-quality overall package consisting of fast chargers, price transparency, reservation options, and services.
Retailers as ideal partners for public charging infrastructure
“It's not just about increasing the number of public chargers; it's about the quality and speed of charging. Poorly implemented charging infrastructure will neither support the acceleration of electric mobility nor be competitive,” says Hauke Hinrichs, COO of SMATRICS EnBW.
For this reason, the company focuses on key locations with high traffic in retail areas and along highways. All locations that went into operation in the last quarter were built at retail partners such as KGAL, ZGONC, METRO, REWE, and BAUHAUS. In the future, there will be a greater focus on service-oriented location equipment and infrastructure, particularly in newly built charging parks – from canopies with PV modules and price display boards to catering facilities, lounge areas, and restrooms. By the end of the year, SMATRICS EnBW will commission additional large charging parks, e.g., in Regau and Suben, and also connect locations in northern Italy (Gruaro and Trezzo) to its network.
With the continuous expansion of its HPC and fast-charging network, SMATRICS EnBW remains a key driver of electromobility. The company is sending a clear message: today's high-performance charging network will secure tomorrow's competitive edge. The company provides electricity from 100 percent renewable energy sources.
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