ATS Group is fully committed to the electrification of its vehicle fleet. At the Merelbeke site, 2 double DC chargers and 10 double AC chargers were recently installed. In the presence of mayor of Merelbeke Filip Thienpont,1st alderman Egbert Lachaert, alderman for mobility Luc Van Huffel and alderman for sustainability Tim De Keukelaere, the installation was solemnly opened. The new charging stations, powered with green energy from our own solar panels and our green electricity supplier Luminus, are in addition to the 14 ordinary charging stations already present.
Sustainability is a top priority at ATS Group, a subsidiary of Luminus. For several years now, ATS has been going for an electrification of its vehicle fleet. ATS wants to use its know-how to contribute to environmentally friendly transport alternatives. That is why ATS Group is further committed to electric driving by installing new fast chargers. This will allow electric cars to be charged faster. The charging infrastructure will be powered by green energy from its own solar panels and green electricity supplier Luminus.
Charging at high power
This type of fast chargers, also called DC chargers, have a power of 120 kilowatts. So when one car is connected to a fast charger, it can be charged with up to 120 kilowatts, depending on the type of car. Two cars can also be connected to a fast charger. In this case, the power is divided between the two cars, allowing each to be charged with up to 60 kilowatts. In addition to fast chargers, there are also regular chargers, also called AC chargers. These have an output of 22 kilowatts, or 11 kilowatts per car when two cars are charging.
The major advantage of a fast charger is that it allows the battery of a fully electric car (or full EV) to be charged in a relatively short time. While a full electric car with a regular charger takes a day to fully charge, a fast charger takes only half an hour to an hour to charge the battery 80%. The last 20% is charged more slowly in order to optimize battery life.
ATS SmartKit regulates energy flows
On top of the new charging infrastructure comes a new and heavier transformer with accompanying energy measurement. ATS also uses its own energy management system, SmartKit, to provide insight into and control over the various energy flows on the entire site. The integrated load balancing tool ensures that the cars are efficiently charged, depending on the available power and renewable energy or user profile. Local residents also benefit from the new investment. After all, they can use both the fast and regular charging stations of ATS Group outside working hours.