Designwerk wins silver at the Eco Performance Award 2024 with innovative charging infrastructure for heavy goods vehicles

07.11.2024 – The Eco Performance Award is considered one of the most important awards for sustainability in European road freight transport. The pioneering Mega Charger solution from Designwerk Technologies AG secured second place in the “Innovation” category in 2024 as one of a total of nine finalists.

This award recognizes companies that develop innovative and practical solutions to shape the future of the industry. Above all, the award recognizes companies that convincingly implement the triad of sustainability and combine ecological, economic and social aspects. In a six-month, three-stage selection process, the ten-member jury from practice and science put the numerous applications submitted through their paces.

As a specialist in battery-electric driving, charging and storage, the Swiss company impressed with its innovative strength and qualified for the final round along with nine other competitors. The focus of Designwerk ‘s application was the Stationary Battery Backed Charging System, or Mega Charger for short, for battery-buffered charging in the megawatt range. On November 5, 2024, the time had come: the winners were chosen at the Zero Emission Summit in Herzogenaurach. Designwerk prevailed against strong competitors in the Innovation category and proudly claimed second place.

High-performance fast-charging infrastructure is crucial

The market leader in the niche for battery-electric commercial vehicles in special applications impressed the jury with a battery-buffered charging system for the megawatt range that will sustainably drive the transition to electromobility in the sector. The expansion of the charging infrastructure is the decisive step in guaranteeing rapid and effective development in heavy goods transport. To achieve this, the transport industry needs high-performance charging technologies to charge heavy commercial vehicles quickly and efficiently. Only with such solutions can the decarbonization targets in long-distance and shift transport be achieved. A high-performance fast-charging infrastructure is therefore the decisive factor in enabling the electrification of heavy goods transport and accelerating the transition to emission-free transport solutions.

The Mega Charger will be able to recharge electric trucks with a usable battery capacity of 740 kWh in just 35 minutes and will be up to six times faster than conventional charging stations with an output of 350 kilowatts in the final development and expansion stage. Thanks to the integrated battery buffer, the system stores a capacity of up to 2,000 kilowatt hours and thus prevents grid overloads. It also enables surplus electricity from renewable energies to be fed back into the grid. Two charging standards are available on the charging container to make the system accessible to the largest possible user group and to ensure compatibility with common electric vehicles. As soon as standardization is complete, MCS charging ports will be available for both initial equipment and retrofitting.

Proof of innovative strength

Designwerk is setting new standards in terms of sustainability and efficiency with this innovation. The megawatt charging station, which is already in successful operation, has the potential to sustainably accelerate the transition to emission-free transport solutions and supports the decarbonization of long-distance and shift traffic – a decisive factor for the future of mobility. Designwerk sees being named a finalist in the Eco Performance Award as further proof of the innovative strength of its solutions.

Designwerk congratulates this year’s winners of the Eco Performance Award PTV Logistics and is delighted to be actively shaping the future of mobility together with such committed partners.