The prototype in Monza at the New Crazy Colors showroom
A faster and more aesthetic charging experience. Atlante, the division of the Nhoa group (Nhoa.pa, formerly Engie eps) dedicated to rapid and ultrarapid charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, and Bertone Design (new Crazy Colors), one of the most world-renowned firms in design, architecture and all-around creativity, are working together on the exclusive design of Atlante’s future rapid and ultra-rapid charging stations. With a canopy designed and produced entirely by Bertone Design, a prototype currently installed in Monza.
The study began a year ago, with a focus on the customer journey and meticulous research into materials that led to the first full-scale prototype. The design responds to a practical need: to inspire change towards achieving zero-emission mobility, the charging stations must be welcoming, functional and easy to recognize. With a design that instantly indicates the power of the ultra-rapid charging technology, supported by battery storage systems powered with photovoltaic energy. A project which will fit perfectly into the high-traffic areas where the stations will be built, enriching the urban and suburban areas with a discreet and impactful design.
The energy, represented by the symbol of a lightning bolt, supports the design of the canopy, the meeting point between the luminous sign, a void yet perceptive element in the upper part, and the full grounding volume of the pillar. The dynamic forms and volumes characterise the station to give it an image of both power and lightness, making the canopy a veritable landmark that signals the Atlante installations and enriches the areas in which they are located.
The new Atlante stations will feature different designs depending on the typology of station: from the smallest, where a simple canopy is provided for customers waiting for their cars to charge, in cities for example, to models that fully cover the charging stalls, which when possible will be powered by integrated solar energy modules. The stations with battery storage systems will benefit from special architectural elements made of “ultra-high performance” concrete, conceived specifically by the Tcc group (Nhoa’s majority shareholder), and will obviously be connected to Atlante’s proprietary Energy Management System, in micro-grid mode.
The Atlante project, which participated in the call for the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (Afif), won 22.7 million euro in European funding to install 215 rapid and ultra-rapid charging stations in four European countries, 70 of which will be in Italy, for a total of 1400 charging points and 700 rapid chargers, thereby creating one of the largest Virtual Power Plants in the world. The underlying technological platform was developed with the collaboration of Free2move eSolutions, the joint venture between the Nhoa Group and Stellantis.
Keyword: sustainability.
Not only will they use recycled or totally recyclable materials, they will also rely on building techniques with low environmental impact, reducing the environmental impact of logistics and construction. Preference will go to existing resources in the region, to be promoted and enhanced, such as commercial services and activities that support the charging: avoiding the construction of new infrastructure in places that lack them, on the one hand; and on the other creating virtuous synergies with local businesses and in general enriching the host communities.
«We invested months and months studying every aspect of sustainability in great detail, even questioning our own easy vanities», stated Stefano Terranova, CEO of Atlante. «We are designing a unique station that is instantly recognizable as an Atlante station and that reflects the undisputed technological value of the network, without compromising on all-round sustainability», he concluded.
On the cover: ©Bertone Design Atlante
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