18.05.2018 | Axpo expands its e-mobility network in Italy
Priority for electric vehicles
More charging stations, a cloud-based management system for electric car infrastructure, and a partnership with Share'ngo, the car-sharing provider specialising in electric vehicles: Axpo Italia is going full speed ahead in the area of electro-mobility!
You may not believe your eyes, but it's really true: The market for electric cars is growing at a fast pace in the land of Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Maseratis. In 2017, sales for electric vehicles in Italy increased by 70%, the largest e-mobility growth rate in Europe. So it comes as no surprise that more and more energy providers and grid operators in Europe's fourth-largest economy see this as a promising future market for electric car infrastructure.
Number 4 in the power market and a leader in the e-mobility market
As the fourth-largest power provider, Axpo Italia wants to play an important role in the liberalised power market and generate growth in the area of electro-mobility. With this goal in mind, Axpo's Italian subsidiary is expanding its e-mobility network in cooperation with ABB: Axpo Energy Solutions Italia, which has realised various projects in the area of energy efficiency and energy generation from renewable sources, recently placed orders with ABB for additional charging poles and the "ABB Ability" system.
Axpo Energy Solutions Italia will monitor and control its e-filling stations, diagnose errors, notify service staff, and process customer transactions all over the country with this cloud-based, scalable management and remote monitoring system for electric vehicle infrastructure. In addition to network monitoring and management, the collaborative operations solution processes network data in order to determine fleet maintenance requirements and optimise operations.
A growing market with huge potential
"Electro-mobility is one of our most important growth areas," says Simone Demarchi, Managing Director of Axpo Italia. "We see a huge potential for the electric vehicle market in Italy."
Axpo Italia wants to specifically exploit this potential, for example in Rome: The company has entered a partnership with Share'ngo, one of the leading car-sharing providers in Italy - and the only one using electric vehicles exclusively. Share'ngo already supports Rome's strict targets to reduce emissions. Together, Axpo Italia and Share'ngo want to develop a dense network for electric mobility in the eternal city – and in addition to ABB's innovative cloud services for nationwide monitoring and control of charging infrastructure, they have placed an order for state-of-the-art wall box stations that will be installed throughout the city. Axpo Italia will supply the power for the electric car-sharing fleet.
Nationwide charging infrastructure with lower emissions
The partnership between Axpo Italia and Share'ngo will not only serve to expand charging infrastructure, but also enable completely emission-free travel with electric cars. Simone Demarchi explains: "The power coming from Axpo Italia's new charging poles for the 800 vehicles in Rome’s Share'ngo fleet is certified, 100% environmentally neutral energy generated from renewable sources. We want to make car-sharing more efficient and ensure that the power is produced without a carbon footprint.
«In a traffic congested city like Rome, where pollution is above average, this is particularly important.»Simone Demarchi, Managing Director from Axpo Italia
One will continue to see Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Maseratis in the city on the Tiber - but other brands will dominate at the Axpo charging stations in the Share'ngo garages and on the parking spaces reserved for Share'ngo customers.
