According to Henk Meiborg, CEO of ZAPe, operators of charging points (CPOs) in Europe could access an additional revenue stream thanks to bidirectional charging.
In an interview with Mobility Portal Europe, the expert states:
“According to a recently published study, an electric vehicle (EV) participating in a Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) scheme for grid stabilisation can generate up to 2,900 euros annually.”
In 2016, ZAPe received an award in Germany for a V2X project, and currently, an Austrian client is interested in installing five of these chargers.
In this context, Meiborg points out that the main challenge is the lack of compatibility of most EVs with the necessary communication protocols.
However, the company and her partners managed to develop a workaround solution that functions well with most models.
To this end, the company is engaged in discussions with several EV manufacturers that are collaborating on the implementation of this product in some of the largest fleets, allowing these operators to have a say in the process.
“One of them expressed their determination to proceed with the project, regardless of the manufacturer’s approval,” the CEO elaborates.
In their case, they are willing to proceed with the test, even if it means the battery warranty no longer applies.
The manufacturer gave the green light to this pilot in order to collect data and assess whether bidirectional charging accelerates battery degradation.
“I want this to be one of the first large-scale projects in Europe because I truly believe in its potential,” emphasises Meiborg.
It will be operational in the coming months.
ZAPe currently operates in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, with around several hundreds of DC charging points at Touristic destinations with a Prescription model “e-Tankstellen Abo”.
Meanwhile, the company is evaluating its entry into other European markets, including Italy, Croatia, Denmark, and Norway.
Spain is one of the potential destinations, although the firm is still seeking a financial partner to make its entry a reality.
In regard to those DC chargers, ZAPe is collaborating with the Spanish company Floox, with whom it is developing various products intended for sale in the German and Spanish markets.
The strategy behind the bidirectional business
Bidirectional charging is not only a technological breakthrough but also an economic opportunity for both users and CPOs seeking to maximise the return on investment in their infrastructure.
According to Meiborg, the market for energy storage in electric vehicle batteries has vast potential.
“If we consider that by 2030, 30% of cars will have a battery, there will be an immense storage capacity available, which will help us address grid stability issues,” he emphasises.
The key to the business model lies in taking advantage of low-demand periods to charge batteries and sell that energy to the grid during peak consumption hours.
ZAPe aims to position itself as a pioneer in this segment, promoting projects that integrate renewable energy with distributed storage.
In addition to charging infrastructure, the company works with data integration systems that optimise charger performance.
It already collaborates with manufacturers such as Ford, Volkswagen, and BMW to improve the visibility of its charging points in navigation systems, making them easier to find and maximising the return on investment for its business partners.
And that’s not all. ZAPe offers an additional advantage.
“If you charge an electric vehicle with green energy, you can sell the biofuel certificates on the market in Austria, Germany and Holland (other countries will follow,” he explains.
He adds: “This is something we also manage for our location partners.”
These are greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction certificates, which allow CPOs to monetise the charging of green energy by selling these certificates on the European market.
What is ZAPe’s business model?
ZAPe operates as a CPO, enabling its partners to comply with all European Union regulations.
For example, if a hotel has more than 20 parking spaces, it must have charging infrastructure.
To address this, ZAPe offers a solution that guarantees an immediate return, without requiring CapEx investment and with minimal OpEx, which is self-financed through the network and the charging sessions conducted within it.
Its primary market focuses on tourist destinations, with a specific emphasis on hotels, restaurants, and cable car systems for mountain access, among others.
“We also ensure these locations are easier to find on Google, Apple, Bing and car navigation systems, when an e-driver searches for a hotel with charging infrastructure,” he states.
Its offering primarily revolves around the installation of direct current (DC) chargers, although, in specific cases, alternating current (AC) chargers are also implemented.
In this context, the CEO identifies network saturation as one of the recurring issues in expanding “refuelling” infrastructure.
To address this challenge, ZAPe installs chargers that limit network consumption to 60 kilowatts (kW), even when providing rapid charging up to 180-240 kW.
This is achieved through the use of intermediate storage batteries.
The flexibility of this approach allows operations to start with a reduced capacity and scale gradually without modifying the existing infrastructure.
“We can start with 60 kW and increase up to 240 kW without changing the grid connection. This saves time, money, and provides greater adaptability,” explains Meiborg.
