Circular reuse of charging stations

The province of Gelderland (The Netherlands)  and Park&Charge by Qwello have worked closely together to enable the reuse of 191 charging stations, most of them EVBox brand. After a 10-year concession period, the charging stations were overhauled in the space of 4 months to keep them operational until at least 2032 and to function according to the new NEN standards. This process required significantly less consumption of raw materials compared to completely replacing the charging stations. This alternative to replacing charging stations is a unique approach and serves as an inspirational project for other provinces and charge point operators.

After the concession period expired at the end of 2023, the province of Gelderland was looking for a partner to modernize the existing charging stations. Usually, in such a situation, new charging stations are installed, but the province did not rule out the possibility of keeping the existing stations. In line with the circular ambitions of Park&Charge by Qwello, it was decided to update 191 charging stations from the brands EVBox and Ecotap in a short period of time and with minimal modifications.

Use existing infrastructure

“The market for charging stations is relatively new, and in many places the first generation of charging stations is coming to the end of its initial lifetime. The question is increasingly being raised: what should we do with all these chargers? We believe that the existing infrastructure can and should be used. Only then will we be acting sustainably and be able to keep up with the speed of the necessary energy transition. This requires all parties to think and act differently,” says Jeroen Franken of Park&Charge.