The global growth of the fully electric vehicle segment is continuing to accelerate at a rapid pace. Yet at the same time, the experience of charging a vehicle is a very different one compared to filling up a gas tank. This makes charging infrastructure and technology – whether in public, at work or at home – an essential corner stone for the future of electric mobility.
“At smart, we believe it is the only logical step to offer our customers not just the car as means of mobility but to provide a complete proposition for real-life daily use” said Dirk Adelmann, CEO, smart Europe. “One of the key topics is charging and we are delighted to have found a comprehensive suite of solutions thanks to the strengths of our new partners in this area.”
With ABB E-mobility (ABB) and Digital Charging Solutions (DCS), smart has two very strong partners that are very alike in their ethos, sharing smart’s vision of how to advance the field of e-mobility. Smart’s approach is to place the consumer at the heart of everything, bringing e-mobility to people from all walks of life.
“In e-mobility, it is exceptionally important to build partnerships with companies that are leaders in their business fields” added Yifeng Tan, Head of Connected Cars and Products, smart Europe. “With ABB and DCS we have forged relationships that are not only created around the best possible home charging and public charging infrastructure solutions, but that are also rooted in a common set of values and an absolute dedication of delivering outstanding service towards our customers. With that we create a seamless user experience through native integration of the charging services into the smart app and in-car systems.”
Through ABB E-mobility, smart will have access to a one-stop-shop for AC wallboxes and related installation services in all of smart’s European markets. This makes the process of setting up a charger very straight forward for smart customers. The smart wallbox comes with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and ethernet connectivity as standard. Through a state-of-the-art RFID authentication method and a seamless integration into the smart app a convenient charging process can be guaranteed. The products and services will be available online through a simple purchase and booking system via the smart marketplace. The set-up of the wallboxes can be booked through the system as an optional extra and will be undertaken by professional local installation partners.
Charging infrastructure on the road is just as important as charging solutions at home. Giving drivers of electric cars the best possible support in accessing a comprehensive charging network is a key factor in driving this wave of mobility forward. DCS has a growing public en-route and destination charging network of more than 290,000 charging points throughout Europe. This provides customers with seamless access to more than 270,000 AC and 24,000 DC points. Integration into the smart app, which offers information such as location, available connector type and general availability, is aimed at making charging hassle-free. Additionally, the DCS charging Card comes for free with every smart.
smart #1 will be premiered in Berlin, Germany, in April 2022.
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