Webasto plans smarter wall boxes

The business with wall boxes is booming at Webasto. The order backlog in the e-mobility sector, which at Webasto includes both private and commercial customers, is steadily increasing and now stands at around three billion euros for the electromobility business, as Anna-Lena Majer explains. Based purely on the number of units, the current order backlog is "around the double-digit million range." Webasto now sees itself as "the leading supplier in direct business with electric car manufacturers." This is helped by the 900-euro subsidy for private wall boxes. In December, the first full month after the subsidy started, revenues were "360 percent above an average month's revenue," according to Majer. There was also a Black Friday sales promotion, which was very well received. Accordingly, she expects that the wall box business "will continue to boom in the coming weeks."

The high unit numbers also come from the OEM business: Every newly delivered electric car has a charging cable in the trunk. Many of these are supplied by Webasto, and the company also manufactures "wall boxes for many car manufacturers, which they offer to their dealerships and also to their end customers," as well as for energy suppliers who want to offer their own solutions. Furthermore, there is the aftermarket business, i.e., sales to distribution partners and directly to end customers via the online shop. The third pillar is the international orientation, as Webasto is one of the few manufacturers of charging technology that operates worldwide, including in markets such as the USA and China. Therefore, Majer adds:

“When you add it all up, you get a pretty decent scale.”

The hardware is fundamentally in place, which is why Webasto is now also focusing on software. The company is currently planning to launch a new generation of models that will make home charging even more user-friendly. Future devices at Webasto will also become increasingly intelligent, not only for communication with the vehicle but also with the house and a home management system. Webasto is also thinking about robotic charging, so users don't have to get their fingers dirty in the rain and winter when charging an electric car outdoors. According to Majer, one of Webasto's core competencies – the movable roof systems – helps here:

“An electric convertible roof already has the complexity needed for a charging robot. Here we combine our know-how.”

The intelligence of wallboxes is also important for customers who, in addition to the electric vehicle, also have a photovoltaic system on the roof and/or a home storage, so that all systems can communicate with each other. The smarter the wallbox has to be, and Majer assumes "that there will be very intelligent solutions in the future." Another aspect in this context is the grid-friendly controllability of charging points, which must be implemented in a user-friendly manner. Keyword tariff-optimized charging, so that charging can take place at times of the day and night when electricity is particularly inexpensive. "The simplest control via a switching contact using the ripple control receiver, which is still used today, is also possible," explains Majer, in order to keep the complexity in check.

Webasto is also keeping an eye on the topic of bidirectionality or V2G and expects a gradual market introduction starting in 2022, which is a very early date. In addition, there is the topic of fast charging with DC wallboxes, with up to 66 kW charging power.

What does this mean?

A few years ago, Webasto made a clear positioning, and this plan now seems to be working out: The company sees itself as a volume manufacturer primarily in the B2C sector. However, this sector is also becoming increasingly demanding and complex, which is why, like many competitors, the company will develop towards "intelligence" in the future. Currently, the company is benefiting from the boom in electromobility and the stringent focus on the B2C business.