Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, together with ENGIE Eps, is developing the Easy Wallbox for easy charging of electric vehicles

– Easy WallboxTM home charging station can be connected to the power grid without complex installation.
– Intelligent management coordinates electricity demand with other consumers in the household.
– With special wiring, charging power of up to 7,4 kW possible in some countries.
– Presentation at an altitude of 1.800 metres in the Piana di Vigezzo ski resort in the Italian Alps.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has developed the Easy WallboxTM home charging station together with ENGIE Eps, a leading specialist in energy storage systems and microgrids. The wallbox, which is available exclusively for FCA, can be connected to the domestic power grid without any additional electrical installation1. As a so-called plug-and-play system, the charging station is ready for use immediately, a major advantage in the rapid expansion of the network of individual charging stations for electric vehicles.

FCA and ENGIE Eps held a spectacular presentation of the Easy WallboxTM in a place where such technology is hardly expected - in the Italian ski resort of Piana di Vigezzo, at the top station of a cable car at an altitude of almost 1.800 meters. The cable car is considered the longest of its kind in Europe and, with technology from ENGIE Eps, will soon be powered entirely by environmentally friendly electricity.

At the beginning of the presentation, a Jeep® Renegade 4xe, the first hybrid model in the range, drove up to the mountain station in pure electric mode and was connected to the Easy WallboxTM in front of the breathtaking panorama of the Alps. "We want to show that no obstacle is too heavy for a Jeep and that it can be easily charged with the Easy WallboxTM even at high altitudes and in temperatures below zero," said Carlalberto Guglieminotti, CEO of ENGIE Eps.

The Easy WallboxTM can be connected to a designated Schuko socket in the domestic power grid and can charge with up to 2,2 kW in this configuration2. After laying a power cable dimensioned for this purpose, charging currents of up to 7,4 kW can be achieved with the same Easy WallboxTM in some European countries.

In this way, the Easy WallboxTM allows the batteries of an electric vehicle to be charged using the existing power supply. If the Easy WallboxTM is configured accordingly by a trained electrician, it coordinates its own power consumption with all other electrical consumers in the household in order to prevent any possible overloading of the network.

"The Easy WallboxTM has been patented by ENGIE Eps exclusively for FCA," continued Guglieminotti. The system was designed entirely in Italy and is also manufactured in the country. We offer the only wallbox that works with a charging current of up to 2,2 kW and does not need to be permanently installed by an electrician. The Easy WallboxTM is the result of the work of around 100 researchers and engineers at ENGIE Eps who, together with the Polytechnic Universities of Turin and Milan, have been helping Italian technology achieve the excellence for which it is known worldwide for more than 15 years."

FCA and ENGIE Eps have been partners since 2017. In recent months, FCA has continued its strategy for electromobility in the EMEA region as planned. Together with ENGIE Eps, the aim is to coordinate the changes that electromobility brings and the work required to achieve it.

Roberto Di Stefano, FCA Head of e-Mobility, said: "The path we have embarked on is not just about electrifying vehicles. It is about completely redesigning the use of vehicles and mobility in general."

FCA will be launching a whole range of electrified vehicle models in the near future. The Fiat 500 Hybrid and Fiat Panda Hybrid are about to launch in Germany with mild hybrid drive (MHEV). The Jeep® Renegade 4xe and Jeep® Compass 4xe combine hybrid technology (PHEV) with the brand's off-road expertise. Battery-electric versions of the Fiat 500 and the Fiat Ducato van will also be launched in the near future. These models are the first, fundamental steps in FCA's sophisticated electromobility strategy, which focuses on the environment without losing sight of the needs of customers.

"For this reason, FCA is launching an entire ecosystem of products and services for electromobility," said Di Stefano. "They focus on the expectations of buyers of electric and electrified vehicles. This is the prerequisite for the use of these vehicles to become widespread and firmly established."

One example of FCA's comprehensive strategy for electromobility is the modernization of the Mirafiori plant in Turin, carried out in collaboration with ENGIE Eps, among others. Among other things, the world's largest vehicle-to-grid (V2G) network is being built there, in which the batteries of electric vehicles are used as intermediate storage and buffer for the entire power grid. "Based on the V2G project, we achieved a structure with 700 electric vehicles that stabilize the public power grid with a capacity of 25 megawatts while they are parked and connected to the grid," explained Di Stefano.

A second project at the FCA Mirafiori plant involves a photovoltaic system built in collaboration with ENGIE Italy. The solar panels cover an area of ​​around 120.000 square meters on roofs and a further 30.000 square meters on 1.750 covered parking spaces. The total output is 15 megawatts. This system can save more than 5.000 tons of CO2. It provides sustainable energy to charge the batteries of the electric vehicles built in the plant.

1Depending on the existing house installation.
2A prior inspection by a qualified electrician in accordance with DIN VDE 0100 722 is recommended.

Press contact:
Sascha Wolfinger
Phone: +49 69 66988-357
Email: sascha.wolfinger@fcagroup.com

@ Photos: FCA Group