Volkswagen, Chinese startup to build flexible quick charging stations in China

BERLIN -- Volkswagen Group Components and the startup Shanghai DU-POWER New Energy Technical Co Ltd will jointly produce flexible quick charging stations in China, the German automobile manufacturer announced on Wednesday.

"The planned joint venture with DU-POWER represents a significant milestone as we continue to make progress along the path to electric mobility," said Thomas Schmall, CEO of Volkswagen Group Components.

According to Volkswagen, the start of series production of the charging stations is scheduled for the second half of 2020. "Establishing production with a local partner is a key step in the rapidly growing electric vehicle market," it noted.

Due to its "compact dimensions," the charging stations could be set up almost anywhere where there would be a need or where no charging infrastructure was yet available, according to Volkswagen.

The flexible charging points could also be turned into fixed charging points when connected to the low voltage grid. According to Volkswagen, this would require less effort and cost compared to permanently installed quick charging points.

"The innovative design of our flexible quick charging station has huge potential in China, not least because of the rapid growth of electric mobility," said Schmall.

In order to use valuable resources sustainably, the charging stations were designed in such a way that old batteries from electric cars could be used as energy storage devices, according to Volkswagen.

"The electrification of the global automotive industry is a megatrend... We will work with Volkswagen to create a solid foundation to support the success of electric vehicles", said Yong Kang, CEO of Shanghai DU-POWER.

Volkswagen and Shanghai DU-POWER would each hold 50 percent of the shares in the joint venture once the necessary official approval procedures have been completed.

According to Volkswagen, the new flexible quick charging stations would later also be produced at the company's plant in Hannover, Germany.