Opening of Austria's Largest Electric Charging Park: Solarcap Sets New Standards for E-mobility in Meggenhofen
With 106 charging points at a single location and extensive infrastructure, the charging park combines the latest technology with a comfortable atmosphere. More than 40 ultra-fast charging points are operated by SMATRICS.
On October 3, Austria's largest charging park was officially opened in Meggenhofen (Upper Austria), located directly along the A8 between Passau and Wels, in attendance of State Councilor Markus Achleitner, Solarcap Managing Directors Gerhard and Peter Limberger, and SMATRICS CSO Ronald Lausch. The Solarcap charging park includes a total of 106 charging points covering an area of 4,000 square meters and relies on quality “Powered by SMATRICS.” This means that Meggenhofen now has almost one in every ten high-power chargers (HPC) in Upper Austria, placing the region in the top tier of fast-charging infrastructure. A recent TQS survey commissioned by SMATRICS also shows that 76.2 percent of Upper Austrians consider fast charging at public e-charging stations to be important or rather important – the highest figure in a comparison of all federal states in Austria.
Innovation at its Finest
SMATRICS operates a total of 42 ultra-fast charging points. The company is also the first charging infrastructure operator to enable Plug & Charge and AutoCharge authentication throughout Austria—including in Meggenhofen. “At the Meggenhofen charging park, customers can charge their vehicles ultra-fast and securely—in addition to conventional charging cards and card payments via payment terminals, they can also use Plug & Charge and AutoCharge, without the need for a card or app. This takes the convenience of fast charging to a whole new level,” explains Ronald Lausch, CSO at SMATRICS.
The charging park in Meggenhofen sets new standards, both in terms of charging speed as well as service and sustainability. A total of 699 kWp of photovoltaic (PV) capacity is already available on the carport covering the entire area, with a further 800 kWp of open-space PV and another 500 kWp planned for the commuter parking lot. A 2.5 MW battery storage system complements the site's grid optimization.
More Than Simply Charging
Additional features are also planned. “In Meggenhofen, we are not only focusing on maximum charging capacity, but also on sustainability. With PV systems on carports and open spaces and a planned commuter parking lot, we are creating a sustainable overall concept that intelligently combines charging infrastructure and renewable energy,” says Peter Limberger, Managing Director of Solarcap. Comfort is also ensured by a newly developed lounge module with an accessible unisex restroom and innovative vending machines, including a specially designed pizza vending machine from Pizza & Baguette.
For this project, SMATRICS is providing a comprehensive service package ranging from consulting and project planning to technical operation, including a 24/7 hotline and billing services. The fast charging stations use the cloud-based charge point management system “charVIS Operations,” which SMATRICS developed independently. In addition, SMATRICS, with its over 100,000 charging card customers and numerous national and international roaming partners, ensures sufficient capacity utilization at the location.
Solarcap and SMATRICS are continuing to work together on expanding the public fast-charging infrastructure in Austria. The next large charging park is already in the works and will be built in Melk.