Frankfurt, Germany 
September 23, 2022 For a long time, electromobility had a hard time in Germany. The goal announced in 2010 by the then German government of allowing one million e-cars to drive on German roads by 2020 was achieved with a slight delay in August last year. Today, one year later, electromobility seems to have arrived in Germany in the fast lane. In the latest Electromobility Trend Barometer conducted by the renowned consulting firm Bearing Point, around 34 percent of respondents said that their next car should be an e-car. In addition to e-cars, however, the necessary charging infrastructure is also needed.
In Frankfurt am Main, the charging infrastructure provider Qwello put its first three charging columns into operation in the Bockenheim district of Weingarten today (Monday). But it will not stop there. Qwello has ambitious expansion plans for the Main metropolis. To this end, the Munich-based start-up had already established a branch in Frankfurt am Main in 2021 and is deploying employees on site.
Qwello’s charging infrastructure solution, which can be controlled via an app application, among other things, and which has already proven itself in other European metropolises such as Munich, Hamburg, Berlin or Stockholm, is now also being used in Frankfurt am Main. Through an intelligent combination of hardware and software, the operator offers a high level of user-friendliness and aims to install and operate a large number of AC charging poles in the city area in the coming years.
With the installation of the first three charging poles, the further expansion of the so urgently needed charging infrastructure in public areas is now starting. As an investor with private capital, Qwello plans and supports the development of public charging infrastructure in the urban area of Frankfurt am Main as well as in other surrounding municipalities.
“Today’s launch for the further expansion of charging infrastructure in the Main metropolis is a great moment for all of us at Qwello. This demonstrates the potential of a successful partnership between the Office of Road Construction and Development, the network operator NRM, the mobility and economic departments of the City of Frankfurt and us as a solution provider for charging infrastructure. Our focus is now on the further expansion of the Frankfurt charging network in line with the city’s needs. In this way, we are contributing to the achievement of the municipal climate protection goals with our unmatched user-friendly charging stations optimized for the city’s needs and enabling a reliable and convenient charging experience for the many future users of e-mobility,” says Qwello CEO Henrik Thiele.
Frankfurt’s head of economic affairs, city councilor Stephanie Wüst, supports the expansion plans of charging infrastructure providers in Frankfurt am Main. “With the open-market model, the city of Frankfurt is pursuing the goal of creating a high-performance charging infrastructure whose network is available to users throughout the city. It is positive at this point that the providers are facing the increasing demand for charging infrastructure with ambitious expansion plans. This is the only way we can create offers and make the use for electric mobility attractive,” the Frankfurt head of the department of economics stated at the commissioning of the new charging stations at the Weingarten.
Wolfgang Siefert, advisor to the head of the mobility department Stefan Majer, is optimistic about the current development: “There are now five providers active in the city of Frankfurt. We expect that this year there will be around 380 charging points for e-cars in Frankfurt in public areas alone. At the pilot locations, the city of Frankfurt is assuming the costs for signage and marking – not to underestimate the enormous amount of work being done by the administration. In this way, we are accelerating the expansion of the e-charging infrastructure in Frankfurt during the pilot phase.”
About Qwello
Headquartered in Munich, Germany, Qwello is a fast-growing, full-service builder, owner, and operator of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in major European cities and is focused on the provision of public charging infrastructure. Qwello operates over 10,000 charge points via public concessions with local municipalities and investment of private capital. The company provides a turnkey charging solution to cities by providing all elements of the charge point infrastructure service. The company has operations across Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, the UK, France, Spain and Poland. Qwello has a clear commitment to the European market, the highest ESG standards and a clear dedication to support decarbonisation endeavours in progressive societies.
For more information about Qwello, visit www.qwello.eu/en