Tritium notches up new EU deal, for Hungary EV charging network

Australian electric vehicle infrastructure company Tritium has notched up yet another European deal, this time in Hungary, to supply 12 of its 50kW DC fast chargers for EVs.

Tritium said on Wednesday that it had signed an agreement with NKM Mobilitas to supply a dozen of its Veefil-RT fast chargers as part of a new electric car charging network across Hungary.

NKM Mobilitas – a subsidiary of the state Hungarian gas and electricity utility – plans to install at least 100 chargers, under the name of Mobiliti, across the country by the end of the year, in cooperation with local government and municipalities.

Tritium’s Veefil-RT 50kW units have had huge success in Europe already, thanks to their world-leading ability to charge an average EV to 80 per cent within 30 minutes.

This success prompted the Queensland company to set up an office and service centre in the Netherlands, as well as a significant expansion of the company manufacturing base at home in Brisbane.

Meanwhile, Tritium’s latest technology, its High Power Chargers, have gone one step further, offering EV dirvers 150km of range in just 5 minutes – almost as fast as filling up a petrol tank.

It was for these that the company signed a huge deal at the start of the month with Munich-based IONITY – a joint venture with BMW Group, Daimler, Ford and the Volkswagen Group – to supply a pan-European network of around 400 charging stations.

The deal means Tritium will supply up to six of its high powered charging technology for 100 high-power charging sites being built by IONITY across Germany, France, UK, Norway and Sweden.

In Australia, where business – like the uptake of EVs – has been slower, the company recently won a deal to supply 40 DC Fast chargers for the NRMA’s rollout of a EV charging network across NSW and the ACT.

Not unlike in Australia, the EV market in Hungary is currently relatively small, making up around 6,000 of the 3.8 million cars on the country’s roads.

But unlike Australia, that is expected to change rapidly, thanks to generous subsidiaries and incentives from the Hungarian government, including grants of up to €5,000, free car registration and reduced or free parking.

“We want to establish a network covering the whole country,” said Szabolsc Balogh, managing director NKM Mobilitas – which it’s worth mentioning again, is a subsidiary of the national energy network operator.

Balogh notes that while Hungary’s EV uptake was mainly being driven by companies, 80-85 per cent of the charging was being done at homes or in underground parking garages. Only around 5 per cent of charging points were on major auto routes or motorways.

“The Tritium fast chargers are strategically vital to our charging network vision,” he added.

“While all charging options are needed, fast charging corridors are essential for the EV market to really take off,” said Jeroen Jonker, Tritium’s general manager of sales in Europe. “We are pleased to have entered into this agreement with NKM Mobilitas and excited to be working with them to electrify mobility in Hungary.”

Their first order of the deal will see a total of 12 Veefil-RT 50kW DC fast chargers installed in strategic locations across Hungary in the second half of 2018, the companies said. Mobiliti is also looking into charging solutions for B2B customers, including retail networks, shopping centres, bank offices delivery businesses and transporters.