The company that is distributing high-power electric charging stations across Europe is entirely Italian. It’s called Alpitronic, and its flagship product is the Hypercharger, available in various power variants, but always in direct current ranging from 50 to 400 kW.
The fact that all the major energy operators in the continent, from Enel X Way in Italy to the German EnBW, and to Scandinavia (Allego, Circle K, Clever are using these charging stations) rely on its hardware to build charging stations is a testament to the reliability and quality of a product that combines practicality with an appealing design that resonates with users.
Alpitronic from the italian Alps
Alpitronic originates from Bozen, and it takes its name from the surrounding mountains of the South Tyrolean capital. Althought the product for which it’s known is the Hypercharger, the company also provides various services.
The charging station business is one that Alpitronic has been engaged in since 2017, not just within Europe but globally. Its products are distributed worldwide, all focused on rapid electric vehicle charging.
Beyond this, Alpitronic specializes in developing electronic hardware and software for the automotive and aerospace industries, as well as other sectors in need of customized and highly technological electronic systems. This process involves everything: from development and design to testing and integration with client companies’ services.
Alpitronic boasts an in-house laboratory for comprehensive testing of high-power electronic systems and is a member of the European Center of Power Electronics (ECPE), which keeps it connected with major European companies, ensuring the italian company stays updated on technological developments.
Among other noteworthy services is testing, conducted within the laboratory. This involves power cycling tests based on AQG 324 standards for the qualification of power electronic modules, including key components in the electric mobility field. These tests determine the long-term durability of electronic modules, providing insights into their lifespan within specific applications.
Alpitronic Hypercharger: better than Chinese alternatives?
More powerful than Tesla Supercharger and now approaching the 500 kW promised by Nio, the Chinese electric car manufacturer known for battery swapping technology.
As previously mentioned, Alpitronic’s Hypercharger stations have established a true standard in Europe, and this is appreciated primarily by electric vehicle users.
During our travels across Europe (from Copenhagen to Oslo, and then to Germany, Italy and Southern France), we found it easier to activate Hypercharger stations scattered across the continent due to their user-friendly interface and sense of familiarity.
In Italy, which leads in the growth of high-power charging stations, nearly all the stations inaugurated in the last two years are Hypercharger stations. This trend extends to Europe as well. Having a unified standard eliminates the challenge of dealing with vastly different infrastructure.
Characterized by a modern and dynamic design, each station can be customized by operators in terms of colors and aesthetics. However, all stations feature a large color touch screen on the left side, RFID area for card activation, and, optionally, a POS for credit or debit card payments. Unfortunately, the latter is not common everywhere: we can find easily in Scandinavian countries and also in Germany, but not in France, Italy or other european countries.
Each operator can also choose the languages available on the station. For example, nearly all the Hypercharger stations operated by German companies are available not only in German but also in English, French, Italian, Spanish, and sometimes also in Danish, Swedish and Norwegian.
Alongside the display, a standard configuration remains consistent: two cable setup with CCS plug, or a three-cable setup with 2 CCS and 1 Type 2, or 1 CCS, 1 Chademo, and 1 Type 2. In high-power stations, the three-cable setup always includes 2 CCS and 1 Chademo.
Below are the available Hypercharger variants:
- HYC50: The smallest, wall-mountable, offering power up to 50 kW with 2 CCS 1 or 2 plugs, or with CCS and Chademo.
- HYC150: Power up to 150 kW with two CCS 2 plugs and 1 Type 2 plug, or 1 CCS 2, 1 Chademo, and 1 Type 2.
- HYC300: Power up to 300 kW with two CCS 2 plugs. This has been the most popular choice between 2022 and 2023, used by operators like Free To X, E.On, Circle K, and EnBW.
The latest introduction is the HYC400, which, as the name implies, offers 400 kW of power and features a completely reengineered internal architecture, aiming to be the most efficient on the market. Alpitronic revealed that they redesigned the entire architecture of the HYC300, replacing the old modules with new 50 kW elements with adjustable power output, coupled with a new-generation inverter utilizing silicon-based technology. The initial HYC400 units are expected to be delivered and installed in the latter part of 2023.
Currently, no electric vehicle can charge at such high speeds. However, the advantage of the HYC400 is that it can maintain a charging rate of 200 kW even when two vehicles are being charged simultaneously.
Alpitronic’s expansion to Ionity and E.On
The list of operators utilizing Alpitronic’s charging stations is extensive. In Denmark, Sweden and Norway you’ll finde Hypercharger hardware at many new Clever stations (the ones designed by Cobe also), and also Circle K and Allego are made with them.
In the homecountry Italy, Alpitronic obviulsy has partnership with all the main providers, from the leading Enel X Way, to Plenitude Be Charge and also Alperia, Ewiva and Free To X. If you want to travel across Italy, you have to remember Free To X, because it’s the provider available in all service stations.
However, they are adopted by operators all across Europe. For instance, Alpitronic has made a significant impact in Germany, providing stations to EnBW and, more recently, the E.On Group. The Dutch company Fastned also relies on Hypercharger stations, operating not only in the Netherlands but also in France, Belgium, Germany, the UK, and Switzerland.
And for the first time, Ionity, the “pan-European” operator, will use Alpitronic stations. The announcement of this partnership with Ionity, a joint venture of Audi, BMW, Ford, Hyundai-Kia, Mercedes, and Porsche, was made in early June. Ionity, which had previously collaborated with ABB and Tritium for its distinctive charging stations, has now chosen Alpitronic and its Hypercharger technology. Initially, they will implement HYC150 and HYC300 stations, later incorporating the HYC400 to increase power and efficiency, aiming for 7,000 charging points by 2025 with improved speed.