One Powerblock, many chargers – how EcoG is looking to transform the infrastructure landscape

Cost is still a major hurdle for many companies when it comes to installing charging infrastructure on their site. By changing the way that power gets to the electric vehicle, German startup EcoG is looking to change that. As Jörg Heuer, CEO of EcoG explains in our exclusive interview, the startup's concept can reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) by 20 to 25 per cent. Watch now.

EcoG hat introduced the ‘Powerblock/Dispenser Architecture.’ It involves connecting several charging stations to one central power block. It makes charging infrastructure easier to install, as groundwork is not needed for every charge point—only for the central power dispenser.

CEO Jörg Heuer explains that it also makes charging infrastructure more scalable. “Think of retail sites, for instance, where you start with electrifying ten per cent of the parking lot; you can do it more efficiently with this architecture [compared to stand-alone chargers],” Heuer says.

The first sites should be installed “by the end of the year.” Asked about exactly where and whether these sites will be in Germany, Heuer remains vague. The company will focus on fleets and retailers and has identified them as first movers. And that the startup will focus on five regions, working with five different installers, across Europe.

Heuer addds: “And we have a strong partner, who will launch the same concept in North America by the end of the year.” The startup opened its US headquarters in the Corktown neighbourhood of Detroit, supported by a $1.5M grant through the Michigan Business Development Program, in January.

For its ‘Powerblock/Dispenser Architecture,’ the company cooperates with companies such as Rittal and Jabil, among others.