GCC: Audi investing ~€100M in charging infrastructure at German sites; 10% of parking spaces by mid-2022

Audi is working to electrify one in ten parking spaces at its German plants by mid-2022; most of these charging spaces will be accessible to the public. . . .

At the main plant in Ingolstadt alone, there will be 3,500 charging points available in the final development. There will be 1,000 charging points in Neckarsulm, just under 100 in Brussels and Gyor. Likewise, charging infrastructure will be built at the factory in San Jose Chiapa. The company already offers expansive charging capacities at the training centers at Munich Airport. . . .

At the sites in Brussels, Ingolstadt, and Neckarsulm, charging infrastructure with a total power input of 21 megawatts is already available. This corresponds to the power consumption of a small town with 14,000 inhabitants. This includes 600 charging points with an output of up to 22 kilowatts (kW) and 60 direct current charging points with an output between 50 and 350 kW.

By the middle of 2022, there will be 4,500 charging points, each with an output of up to 22 kW, and approx. 50 more with an output of up to 350 kW each at the plant sites alone. A dynamic and intelligent load-management system will be controlling all power input across sites this year already, so the power connection does not need be expanded.

In addition, there is the equipment of the three Audi Training Center locations at Munich airport. Audi’s largest individual charging park with a power input of 2.1 megawatts is connected to the grid here.

In connection with the construction of the new ATC IV building, the solar power generated is used for the charging procedure in combination with a battery buffer storage device.

The project team has also created its own navigation map on the basis of Google Maps that allows employees to see in real time where charging terminals are available. Invoicing via online systems and the integration in an internal settlement system are further services.

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NY Governor Cuomo announces “Make-Ready” program for EV charging stations; >20K EV rebates approved

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New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that the New York State Department of Public Service issued a report recommending the establishment of a statewide utility-supported “Make-Ready” Program that would provide incentives to light-duty electric vehicle supply equipment and infrastructure (EVSE&I) for both Level 2 and Direct Current Fast Charger (DCFC) stations.

The Make-Ready Program would improve electric vehicle (EV) charging station economics by covering up to 90% of the costs to “make-ready” a site for EV charging; these costs currently present an economic barrier to EV charging station developers.

• The infrastructure required to “make-ready” a site for EV charging is a significant upfront investment for developers. Given the low penetration of EVs on the road today, it is difficult to recoup installation costs from charging revenues due to low station utilization. A typical DCFC station in New York is not expected to be profitable over the initial ten-year period of operations, barring utility investment in make-ready or another incentive source, given current station economics.
  
  By stimulating station development now and assuaging range anxiety, drivers will be more likely to transition to EVs early, accelerating achievement of the State’s goals and realizing the benefits associated with EVs. DPS Staff expects that improved charging station economics driven by increased utilization would support stepping down the incentive levels periodically during the Make-Ready Program, and the program would serve as an effective bridge to a fully self-sustained EVSE&I market.
  
  —NY Department of Public Service (DPS) whitepaper on EVSE&I. . . .

The report recommends that the Public Service Commission direct the State’s major electric utilities to build the grid infrastructure needed to enable installation of publicly accessible EV charging stations. To support EV deployment in New York, the report recommends a number of actions to leverage the utilities’ expertise and unique position to promote zero-emission vehicle adoption.

The Commission has already approved initiatives to encourage the zero emission’s market, including residential time-of-use rates for EV charging and annual per-plug incentives to buy down the cost of installing publicly accessible direct current fast charger stations. The Commission has also approved a number of EV demonstration and pilot projects, and the utilities have developed the framework needed to rollout EVs.

The “Make-Ready” Program would run through 2025 to coincide with New York’s goal of deploying 850,000 zero-emission vehicles by the end of that year. The program will improve EV economics for developers by covering up to 90% of the costs to make-ready a site for EV charging.

The report also proposes that the utilities be required to incorporate EV charging scenarios into their annual capital planning processes to encourage thoughtful siting of charging infrastructure. . . .

Fast-charger EV stations developed in the first year of the "Make-Ready" Program are expected to have positive financial returns for all regions and site configurations, except for the larger 150 kW stations located in Upstate New York. The report recommends that each region in Upstate New York be eligible for additional incentives to make four or more fast charging locations available in every region.

The EVolve NY initiative, administered by the New York Power Authority, has committed $250 million to expand public fast charging along key transit corridors, creating new charging hubs in major cities and airports, and establishing electric vehicle-friendly model communities that will encourage residents to transition to driving electric vehicles. . . .

The Make Ready program supports the Governor’s recent State-of-the-State announcement on electric vehicles calling on NYPA to install 10 or more fast-charging locations in every Regional Economic Development Council region by the end of 2022. The Governor’s EV policy also calls for every travel plaza on the New York State Thruway to have charging stations installed by NYPA by the end of 2024 and for at least 800 new chargers to be installed over the next five years. . . .

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