Technology This is what the new wallboxes can do: One for all

The new Webasto wallbox is rather inconspicuous. Compact, black, without great displays or other showmanship. But the name Unite already gives an idea of ​​where the small charging stations are headed. They have to be intelligent and networked. The Unite also implements the local dynamic load management. This means that the power grid is not put under too much stress, but the charging capacity is also reduced if too many batteries are sucking from the power grid – for more than one wall box. “With the Unite, we can operate 32 wall boxes on a low-voltage circuit, which communicate with each other and dynamically adjust the charging power,” explains Dr. Karl Kolmsee, Director Product Portfolio at Webasto. This makes the Unite suitable for underground car parks in apartment buildings or large car parks in front of supermarkets and fitness studios.

On top of that. From autumn, the Wallbox will use two certified meters. One for the MID (Measurement Instruments Directive), which is used in many European countries, and then (from autumn) one for compliance with calibration law in Germany and Austria. This allows private and commercial users to bill their charging capacity in a tax-compliant manner. It almost goes without saying that these charging stations can be conveniently controlled via an app.

Just a few meters away from the Webasto stand, the Spanish competitor Wallbox is also playing the one-for-all card and presenting the “Pulsar Max”. Also a small, handy wall box with lighting (the Iberians can’t quite get out of their skins after all), which up to 50 users can use thanks to the power sharing energy management system. The price is comparatively manageable at around 750 euros. Especially when you consider that the high-tech wall boxes can cost over 1,000 euros, which is definitely an argument, especially after the end of the state subsidy for private wall boxes.

With the EnerSys 123 charging station, the motto is “all in one”. Because the 30 kW charging station offers the option of supplementing it with a 20 kW energy storage device and filling it with a 10 kW photovoltaic system. Even if this charging station is significantly larger than a wall box, its flexibility is interesting. More elegant are the narrow, almost graceful Elinta Charge CityCharge V2, which also won the Red Dot Design Award and are therefore mentioned here.

The number of wallbox providers at Power2Drive is immense. Some are known only to true insiders. The Sinexcel wall box ev charger comes from Shenzhen (China), which has a charging capacity of up to 22 kW and, with its circular appearance, hangs on the wall like a small white cake. Sinexcel has already made a name for itself in China as a manufacturer of large charging stations, energy storage devices and photovoltaic modules. Speaking of which: Well-known manufacturers such as Kostal also do the honors. The start-ups, which often come from Asia, are imaginative when it comes to the names. With the Growatt wall box called Thor, the makers reach deep into the legend shelf.

In addition to connectivity, home electricity filling stations must always be more powerful and flexible. 22 kW charging power is now standard for a wall box. UU GreenPower already offers a Vehicle to Grid functionality on paper, but this is currently still a promise for the future. according to dr Karl Kolmsee, it will be another five years before this detail is ready for use.

In addition to the performance, the portable chargers have long had nothing in common with the rock-heavy, unwieldy chunks of the past. With many chargers that have the addition “Go” in their name, the main aim is to safely charge up at the household socket. The ejoin Porty Wallbox goes one step further: it delivers the combination of extremely compact dimensions and a charging option with up to 22 kW. At least on paper.