Converting block heater points into electric vehicle charging points

Problem

Traffic and transportation causes approximately one fifth of Finland’s greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions can be reduced by migrating to electrically powered means of transport. However, increasing the number of electric vehicles is hampered by the lack of an affordable and adequate charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.

Solution: Converting block heater points into electric vehicle charging points

Parking Energy converts the block heater points situated in parking places and garages into smart electric vehicle charging points. The mechanical timers on the block heater points can be quickly replaced with a similarly-sized charging module that identifies the user using NFC technology and bills the user for the charged electricity directly via a bank account. With personal NFC tags, motorists can charge at any Parking Energy charging point, as well as control and monitor the charging status via a cloud service.

Parking Energy’s revenue model and benefits

Parking Energy provides customers with a service model in which property companies do not need to invest in the charging equipment themselves. After obtaining permission from the housing company, the company installs smart charging points in parking spaces as requested by car owners. Parking Energy is responsible for the charging units, their servicing and maintenance, as well as electricity measurement and billing. The car owners pay a fee to the company, covering the service fee and the electricity consumed. Parking Energy pays the share of the consumed electricity to the housing company.

Benefits to the customer and end user

The solution is easy and affordable for properties. The car owners only pay for the service and electricity used. Smart power control of charging makes it possible to fully charge the batteries of all of the cars in the parking garage overnight. Utilising the existing power network for charging electric vehicles means property owners avoid making expensive investments.