Infrared, an infrastructure investment firm, has invested €150 million in Jolt Energy to kickstart the development of its battery-buffered ultra-fast charging network across Europe. The funding will allow Jolt Energy to build up to 500 charging stations over the next five years, with 50 of them expected to be operational by the end of this year.
Jolt Energy’s CEO, Oliver Probst, said the company’s charging network would provide a significant boost to EV adoption in urban areas. He added that the charging infrastructure needed to be “convenient and fast enough to meet the needs of today’s urban EV drivers.” The company’s charging points will be capable of delivering up to 320 kW, making them high-power charging points, which will not require a high-voltage grid connection.
In October 2020, Jolt Energy unveiled the first charging station with an integrated 200 kWh battery called MerlinOne. It was created in collaboration with ADS-TEC and launched in 2021.
In July 2021, Jolt entered an agreement with infrastructure consultancy AECOM to roll out ultra-fast charging stations. Under the agreement, Jolt will manufacture the charging stations and operate the network, while AECOM will develop and execute an international rollout plan that includes programme management, site development, equipment deployment, commissioning and on-site service. The company then planned to install up to 15,000 chargers in 250 urban centres by 2025, equally divided between Europe and North America.
Jolt Energy has already installed the first sites in German cities, and 100 more are set to follow by the end of the year. The statement mentions “thousands of fast-charging stations” to be installed in European and North American cities but has yet to deliver details.
Jolt aims to partner with both cities and commercial locations, such as supermarkets, restaurants and service stations, to establish charging stations at highly frequented locations.
Keyword: Jolt gets $150 mn in funding for battery-buffered HPC network