EVBox/Covestro: Charging stations are to become more sustainable

The charging technology subsidiary of the French energy group Engie EVBox Group and the plastics specialist Covestro aim to establish more sustainable material choices for charging stations. The partners have been cooperating in the production of charging stations for ten years. In the early stages of the polycarbonate value chain, ISCC Plus-certified (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) hydrocarbons from renewable sources are used. With this process, the base material—a material that can be directly used as fuel—for the production of high-performance polycarbonates can be shifted from purely fossil resources to renewable alternatives, explains the provider.

Sustainable materials for sustainable mobility

Plastics are still synonymous with fossil raw materials and need to meet strict standards in the production of charging stations for electric vehicles. Sustainable materials used in the charging industry should now meet UL certifications, argues the provider. With Covestro's new production process, which replaces fossil raw materials with renewable ISCC Plus-certified sources such as residual fats and vegetable oils, the group can produce charging stations with less environmental impact.

The plastics used in the pilot production of the charging station follow a mass-compatible approach to ensure that the sustainable portion of the Makrolon-based plastic parts accounts for at least 50% of the total plastic used, the provider further outlines. The entire process will continue to comply with the stringent regulations of the charging industry.

"I am pleased that we can take another step forward in terms of sustainability. Not only are we providing charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, but we can now also manufacture this infrastructure with next-generation plastics that are predominantly from renewable sources and reduce the carbon footprint of our products," promotes Wijnand Diemer (Senior Director in Product Management at EVBox Group)

Niklas Meine, Marketing Electrical & Electronics EMEA at Covestro, sees the partnership as a success, and now aims to continue by supplying the EVBox Group with materials from balanced renewable sources for the next generation of charging solutions. Currently, tests and pilot projects are being conducted with the more sustainable polycarbonate material Makrolon RE to determine the extent to which this material can be used in production. The new polycarbonate could be key to producing electric vehicle charging stations made from more sustainable plastics, believe the partners.