It’s been a thrilling year for Nimbnet. We launched our first charging station in Gotland. The process has been nothing short of an exciting and challenging adventure for a startup with a very pressed timeline. This article provides a glimpse into the construction process of a milestone as a charge point operator, led by a diverse team, including personnel from our partners– GotlandRing, Virta, Kempower, and OneCo.
A Startup’s Bold Ambition
Nimbnet, a startup with a vision for a sustainable future, accepted the daunting task of constructing a public charging station in Gotland Ring just weeks before its proposed launch date on August 30th. The timing couldn’t have been more significant, coinciding with GotlandRing’s 20th-anniversary celebration and the filming of Top Gear’s first Sustainable Speed Week. This was an opportunity for us to put all the pieces together, gain much-needed experience for our other charging station projects, and become an operational Charge Point Operator. We also hoped to gain a new visible partnership with Virta, Kempower, OneCo, and GotlandRing, and enable electrified racing stories inspiring people to switch to EVs. Despite the tight timeline and the pressure to deliver on such a grand stage, we rose to the occasion.
The Power of Collaboration
The project was born when Alec Arho-Havrén from GotlandRing asked Virta to help build a public charging station in Gotland for their race track during Almedalsveckan at the end of June. The first meeting between Alec, Jonas Garnér from Virta, and Torbjörn Nordling from Nimbnet took place on July 18th. At the time, we were excited but also anxious about the time frame this project would have to be completed. After a feasibility study and multiple discussions with suppliers and partners, the project was finally deemed feasible on August 7th. It was a challenge, but a challenge we were ready to take on.
We already had Kempower’s exceptional C503 chargers with liquid-cooled satellites that can deliver up to 400kW of charging power in our storage. It was perfect for this high-profile event. The chargers run on Virta’s charging platform, which enables card payments and contactless payments, making it user-friendly and efficient. In this sense, the best state-of-the-art chargers were ready to go. In fact, this would be the first liquid-cooled chargers on Gotland and the first public installation of this system in all of Sweden.
A network station with an 800kVA transformer already existed at GotlandRing, which could supply the 600 kW power unit of the charger, given that the existing low-power destination chargers connected to it were turned off.
To ensure the project’s success, Nimbnet fostered a spirit of collaboration. We contacted Dick Berg at OneCo–a construction engineering company. They played a pivotal role in handling the complex construction and the electrical aspects of the charging station in Gotland, ensuring the infrastructure was in proper condition. On August 11th, Torbjörn, along with Jonas and Jaakko Hintikka from Virta, visited the Kempower factory in Lahti. During the meeting, Kempower was informed about the project and invited to join. On Aug. 22nd, the final partnership agreement was reached, making this a joint effort between Nimbnet, Kempower, Virta, OneCo, and GotlandRing. Without the collaboration and flexibility of all partners, it would not have been possible.
Gotland Charging Station Construction Timeline:
August 7-22: In the design phase of our charging station in Gotland, our architect, Inês Lemos, was hard at work. She’s focused on creating a layout that ensures easy access to our chargers for drivers while fitting them among existing destination chargers and electrical cabinets. Simultaneously, our graphic designer, Anh Bùi, was dedicated to branding the station. This includes designing logo decals, signages, and flags, all aimed at making a strong first impression for Nimbnet as a startup. Design isn’t just about functionality; every element of design carries the weight of our mission as a startup.
August 22: Daniel Svensson, and Manne Bergagård from OneCo are ready on-site to start excavating! Luckily, there is already an established connection to the grid, so we just need to install a distribution cabinet and lay down some more cables to power the new Kempower C503 charger and its satellites. It wasn’t as simple as we thought due to the existing cables wired to the destination chargers. By the end of the day, OneCo was able to dig out a trench for our cables.
August 23: Time to lay down the cables. OneCo tirelessly laid out all the cables necessary to power up our two chargers and connected them to an electrical enclosure on the perimeter of the transformer. You can even see the foundation of the chargers in the picture!
August 24: Day 3 of the construction! OneCo installed the Kempower power cabinet with two satellites, and the chargers were installed on their foundation. It’s starting to look like a charging station!
August 25: OneCo made some finishing touches to the construction and cleaned up the site. The two chargers look like they are in good condition, just in time for the weekend.
August 30: Our construction manager, Huong Samuelsson, arrived on Gotland a day before BBC Top Gear’s first event. She had been in contact with Virta, Kempower, and GotlandRing. Her mission was to get the final things installed, document the installation, and ensure everything was functioning. We ran into a small hiccup with the satellites’ sensor, but it was quickly resolved by Kempower’s engineers on site.
August 31: Now that everything was functioning, it was time to add our branding onto these chargers. Anh and our administrator Camille Giron worked diligently to ensure our logos and signs were designed and printed before the big day. Applying decal stickers takes a lot of precision and care. It’s fair to say that it was a nervous moment for everyone. Next time, we know to print some extras just in case. Unfortunately, the signs came without a stand to prop them up, so they were only propped up next to our power cabinet. This is a lesson for all of us next time to make sure we have all the correct equipment. On the bright side, the sky was beautiful, and our flags were flying high! We were ready for GotlandRing and Top Gear.
Overcoming Challenges with Teamwork
The journey wasn’t without its hurdles. Rushing to meet the launch date, the team faced challenges like communication with suppliers and last-minute design adjustments. It was particularly stressful for all involved. The station isn’t perfectly aligned with what we had in mind, but they are absolutely and perfectly functional. In fact, it exceeded everyone’s expectations with its super-fast charging speed.
There were many lessons learned, some small and some large. In the end, the team’s collaborative spirit and determination prevailed, ultimately leading to a successful outcome worth celebrating. We’re especially proud that Nimbnet’s team is entirely remote as we work remotely from different parts of Sweden, with stations too far to travel to. This project showcased our ability to meet demanding deadlines while maintaining effective communication. We also cannot thank our partners enough. Without them, this project would have been impossible. We can’t wait for this partnership to bloom again in 2024!
Team Recognition
Inês, our talented architect, not only stayed up late at night to perfect the designs but also kept a positive and enthusiastic attitude throughout our journey.
Anh, our graphic designer, was tasked with rebranding our logo so it appeals to more people. It goes without saying that she did a great job and our brand now pops!
Huong, Nimbnet’s dedicated construction manager, went the extra mile (literally, miles) by making a trip to GotlandRing to ensure that everything was being executed to perfection.
Camille, Nimbnet’s administrator, played a vital role in ordering printed signs, flags, and LED screens for the station.
Nikolay Shishkov, our co-founder and EV expert, also went the extra mile (also literally, miles) by visiting Gotland to represent our voice during the big event.
Magnus Wall, our honorary mention from Keego Mobility, deserves a shoutout too. He proved invaluable with his many miscellaneous skills and hopeful attitude. His handiness helped us raise our flag high! Check out Keego Mobility and our project together – Lightning Hub.
And, of course, last but not least, we had excellent project coordination by Torbjörn, Carl Johnzén, and Anh Luc. Their great leadership made sure we were on track with everything despite the challenges.
This project marks a significant milestone in Nimbnet’s mission to promote sustainable transportation and leaves us eagerly anticipating our next station. We’re a true charge point operator now!