Volvo solar charging stations, charging free of charge

Volvo solar charging stations have been installed at four Volvo Car Thailand dealerships, where customers can charge their cars for free.

As the number of electric vehicles (EVs) in Thailand is rising, however slowly, the demand for electricity from charging stations is growing along with it. More EVs means more power generation, which usually involves other fossil fuels that create similar amounts of carbon dioxide, leading to global warming.

A standard 220V household connector offers a typical charging rate of 7 – 14 kilometres of range per hour. It is best suited for overnight charging of a plug-in hybrid.

Volvo says that using electricity that’s produced with renewable energy like solar will not only help in terms of environmental issues but also in terms of cost.

Managing director Chris Wailes said…

“At the beginning of the year, Volvocommittedt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50% within three years, which includes the cooperation of our partners. We have installed prototype solar charging stations at all four Volvo dealerships, which can reduce electricity bills by up to 106,000 baht (US$3,500) per year and reduce carbon emissions by over 11,500 kilograms each year in each dealership.

“We want to protect the environment for future generations because climate change is one of the greatest problems we all face. And we believe consumers want to choose brands that truly care about doing the right thing.”

The Solar Carport is an energy system connected to the electricity grid. Solar cells are used as the source of electricity which is sent to the inverter that converts direct current into alternating current for feeding to a wall box charger for EVs.