The direct sale of charging stations via web shops will become increasingly common in the coming years. Now that electric cars are playing an increasingly important role in the fight against climate change, more and more consumers are also looking online for charging systems. Alfen, a Dutch manufacturer of charging stations, is therefore aiming for the wider availability of charging stations via well-known web shops.
“We have multiple distribution channels,” explains commercial director Richard Jongsma of Alfen in the company’s quarterly figures. The Almere company itself sells exclusively to business customers, such as wholesalers or operators of charging stations. “But now indeed also to web shops.” One of those webshops is Coolblue.nl, which announced earlier this week that it would be selling charging points from Alfen, among others. They are also for sale through more specialized sites. “And now we are also taking steps towards web stores that are more widely known”, says Jongsma. “People will get used to charging stations being offered in more places than just through installers or lease companies.”
Alfen is counting on strong growth of the electric vehicle fleet in Europe in the coming period, partly due to the arrival of more affordable plug-in cars. The support packages that Germany and France, among others, set up because of the pandemic, also contain financial advantages for the purchase of electric cars.
It is the Green Deal of the European Union, from which Alfen expects further tailwind. The peak consumption of electric cars – for example charging a Tesla – can be up to six times higher than that of an average household. To absorb this load, Alfen is developing “intelligent” network systems that better match the supply and demand of energy sources. The same products also offer relief in case of fluctuations in the amount of wind and solar energy, explains Marco Roeleveld of the company. “In addition, you no longer have a factory on one side and a user on the other. You now have solar panels everywhere. As a result, traffic goes in two directions, while the network is designed for one-way traffic,” says Roeleveld.