Intelligent charging services growing rapidly

What was once a subcontractor to the oil industry is now contributing to the electrification of society. Basefarm is along for the journey as Zaptec revolutionises electric car chargers.

About Zaptec

Based on the west coast of Norway, Zaptec is a rapidly growing green technology company, specialising in smart systems for electric car charging. In just a few years, Zaptec’s technology has been embraced by a significant proportion of private electric car users. As a market leader in a country already far ahead in the development of green mobility infrastructure, Zaptec’s ambitions extend far beyond Norway’s borders.

For decades, oil has been the main industry in southern Western Norway. Many companies contributed their knowledge to develop the industry. So too did Stavanger company Zaptec. The company’s name originated from the technology they used to send electric shocks through oil pipelines in order to clear them of waste substances.

Zaptec has now transferred their knowledge from the oil industry to the renewable industry, becoming a world-leading provider of smart electric car chargers.

“You could say we went from ‘zapping’ oil pipelines to blowing the sparks into the green revolution,” says Maiken Økland, Head of Communications at Zaptec.

“Our goal is to create a more sustainable and electric future by combining the latest technology with designs that put people at the centre. We want to help people undertake new and exciting adventures instead of worrying about range anxiety.”

Cloud-based charging system

Picture an apartment complex with ten electric car chargers. In the afternoon, people come home from work, plug in their cars, and go inside to make dinner for the family. This means that car chargers, ovens, and dishwashers need to be powered at the same time.

Here, Zaptec’s cloud-based charging system gives them a competitive advantage.

When many electric cars charge at the same time in an apartment complex, multi-family residence, or at a big company, there is not always enough electric power for everyone to charge at full capacity. Each charger sends information up to the cloud, and the system then makes sure that the available current is distributed fairly between those charging.

“Zaptec’s smart electric car chargers are connected to each other much like the trees in a forest,” says Joar Etterlid, Systems Developer at Zaptec. “They optimise the use of electricity and utilise all available energy in the system as efficiently as possible.”

The charging system prioritises and distributes the available electricity between charging stations in larger installations, as well as in private households. Each charging station is connected to the internet through an Internet of Things (IoT) device, which makes charging more efficient.

“Thanks to our cloud solution, Zaptec can utilise up to 66 percent more of the power you already have available,” says Etterlid. “But to achieve this, we need to be connected to the cloud at all times.”

CAR CHARGING GROWING RAPIDLY

Zaptec has great ambitions and is growing rapidly. It has its sights set on several emerging markets in Europe and around the world. The company is aiming for a billion kroner turnover in 2022. They recently expanded production capacity for smart chargers to meet demand in countries such as Germany and Switzerland.

“We are working in parallel on an electric car charging payment service called Charge365,” says Økland. “This will allow us to both solve both payment needs and make chargers more user-friendly.”

CLOUD EXPERTISE CRUCIAL

Since each charger is connected to the internet, Zaptec is able to update the software continuously, such as enabling the charging box to be locked through the app, while the charging system is also integrated with the energy provider Tibber, which ensures the most affordable electricity at any given time. In addition, the smart system chargers can offer real-time monitoring, meaning that when a problem arises, you get customer support directly. Zaptec can perform continuous maintenance in each individual charger, regardless of whether you live in a detached house or apartment.

All these features naturally require a well-functioning, reliable cloud service.

“Basefarm’s cloud expertise is invaluable to us,” says Etterlid. “Their knowledge frees up a lot of time for us that we can spend on creating new functionality and improving the product instead of worrying about its operation. They quality assure new functions in Microsoft Azure, so we don’t have to worry about choosing incorrectly. And they also help us scale up and reach new markets.”

“Operation is the most important element in a business like ours,” explains Økland. “After all, our customer promise is ‘fully charged for your next adventure’, and that’s where our business value lies.”

Developing sustainable solutions

For Basefarm, Zaptec is an ideal partner to work with. Cloud services are essential to the development of the Internet of Things, and car chargers in networks are a good example of this development.

“The renewable industry inspires us to work towards sustainable digital solutions,” says Robert Baumann., Head of Marketing at Basefarm. “Microsoft Azure’s rate of innovation and our ability to integrate and operate the system allow us to provide Zaptec with a flexible and secure platform to achieve its sustainability goals.”