Drivers of electric vehicles (EVs) in the Czech Republic can now experience ultra-fast charging at a station equipped with a battery storage system for the first time.
The compact DC charging station by Kreisel, featuring an integrated battery, is now operational on Duhová Street in Prague 4.
Kreisel, a family-owned company based on the Austrian side of Lipno, counts American giant John Deere and Austrian-born actor Arnold Schwarzenegger among its shareholders.
The station ensures a charging capacity of up to 180 kilowatts, even in areas with limited grid power.
This is made possible by the built-in battery system with a capacity of 115 kWh, which stores sufficient energy.
“In recent years, we have significantly increased the pace of building ultra-fast charging stations, which drivers clearly prefer for longer journeys. Our network now offers over 100 such stations,” says Tomáš Dzurilla, Head of E-mobility at ČEZ, which operates the largest and most powerful EV charging network in the Czech Republic.
“However, we cannot always build them in the most optimal locations due to grid capacity constraints and property issues. Integrated battery systems provide a fast and elegant solution, ensuring a stable charging output even when multiple vehicles are charging simultaneously,” he explains.
“Last summer, we installed one such station for the Prague City Technology company to test its properties for potential broader deployment in the capital. We believe this type of station, with its ability to compensate for grid limitations quickly and with minimal space requirements, will support the development of charging infrastructure in the Czech Republic,” states David Veselý, Director of Green Energy at ČEZ ESCO, which installs Kreisel stations in the Czech Republic.
He continues: “By combining grid and battery capacity, it ensures peak demand is met and guarantees a charging output of up to 180 kW for every driver.”
The ČEZ public EV charging network currently includes three locations equipped with external battery storage: Vestec, Duhová 3, and Kaufland Vypich.
ČEZ continues to fulfil the goals set out in its Clean Energy of Tomorrow vision
In e-mobility, it has already met its target of operating 800 charging stations for EVs ahead of schedule.
The network’s capacity has grown from 18 MW when the vision was announced in May 2021 to over 70 MW by the end of November.
With new EVs featuring increasingly larger battery capacities, demand for high-performance stations offering short charging times continues to grow.
The largest Czech network operator will meet this demand next year by constructing new ultra-fast charging stations and expanding their number in charging hubs, located in high-traffic areas along main routes and in cities.
In 2024, ČEZ deployed over 60 ultra-fast chargers with outputs ranging from 150 to 360 kilowatts.
In the coming year, it plans to build more than 100 additional high-performance chargers, enabling drivers to recharge for 150 kilometres of driving in just ten minutes.
What Can Ultra-Fast Stations Do?
During a short refreshment break, drivers can replenish most of their car’s battery capacity in about ten minutes with a 150+ kW charger, providing energy for approximately 150 kilometres of driving.
Users can identify themselves via a customer RFID card or through the Futurego app, which, along with a web-based Driver Portal, allows for convenient account management.
The Futurego app can locate the nearest charging station, showing real-time availability of charging points.
“From 0 to 100” Campaign
Currently, ultra-fast charging at ČEZ stations is the cheapest on the market for Premium tariff customers at 11 CZK per kWh compared to the three largest providers.
Thanks to the “From 0 to 100” campaign, symbolising the milestone of 100 ultra-fast stations in the ČEZ network, drivers of all EV brands save 7 CZK per kWh on the Standard tariff and 9 CZK on the Premium tariff compared to non-registered drivers.
