Nimbnet, Kempower, and Virta launch first public fast charging station for Top Gear’s Speed Week at GotlandRing

Virta’s cooperation with Kempower and Nimbnet nearly breaks a world record for fast charging from a public Kempower fast charger at Top Gear’s Speed Week.

Virta played a central role in launching the first public fast charging station at Sweden’s GotlandRing—the world’s most sustainable race circuit—for Top Gear’s first low-carbon Speed Week from August 31 to September 3, 2023.  

The Nimbnet charging station is integrated into Virta’s smart charging platform and features the first Kempower Liquid Cooled Satellites, which allow a charging speed of up to 400kW. Charging power is tailored to the vehicle's capabilities, ensuring safe and efficient charging for both trucks and personal cars. This joint collaboration makes charging more accessible and convenient for all EV drivers.

“At Nimbnet, we believe charging is a right. That’s why we work to ensure access for everyone—whether you drive a large semi-trailer or a small compact car. GotlandRing enables us to provide charging for the most extreme cars, which drives technology forward. I am delighted that we can partake in showcasing EV performance unseen in internal combustion vehicles. As a professor of Automatic Control, I know this captures people's imagination and promotes electrification, thus helping achieve Nimbnet’s mission to accelerate electrification to reduce CO2 emissions. It’s fantastic to do this in partnership with Virta, Kempower, and GotlandRing,” says Torbjörn Nordling, Project Supervisor at Nimbnet AB.

Collaboration sets the bar high for a more eco-conscious future of transportation

As a pioneer in sustainability and e-mobility, GotlandRing served as the ideal location for Top Gear’s first sustainable Speed Week, which coincided with GotlandRing's 20th anniversary. EVs at the event were charged with 100% renewable energy produced on-site, and combustion engines were powered by biofuel. This trailblazing event demonstrates the racing industry’s potential to be more environmentally responsible, and sets the bar for the world of motorsports and sustainable mobility.

“Together with Virta and Nimbnet, we successfully completed this Nordic joint effort within a very short time frame, just in time for Top Gear’s Speed Week. Now all EV drivers visiting the GotlandRing racetrack can experience DC fast charging at its best. The Kempower Liquid Cooled Satellites provide a world-class charging experience without compromises — not only providing high charging power but also ensuring fast and easy cable handling due to the intuitive and ergonomic design of the Kempower Satellites,” comments Erik Kanerva, Director of Sales, North Europe at Kempower.

Virta took the lead in launching this new charging station in record time, connecting with end users, chief product officers, hardware manufacturers, and suppliers. The station at GotlandRing is part of Virta’s extensive roaming network, comprising 400,000 charging points, enabling 500,000 EV drivers to charge using their preferred existing payment solutions.

“Launching the fastest public charger at Scandinavia’s greatest race track is a testament to the growth of electrification—from the sports enthusiast side to the public side. It’s a pleasure to work with EV industry forerunners to service something as renowned as Top Gear, transforming a traditional sport into a future of electrification. But that’s just the first stepping stone, and we look forward to continuing this journey together towards a greener future ,” says Martin Lundgren, Country Director for Virta Scandinavia.

About Kempower

We design and manufacture reliable and user-friendly DC fast-charging solutions for electric vehicles. Our vision is to create the world’s most desired EV charging solutions for everyone, everywhere. Our product development and production are based in Finland, with the majority of our materials and components sourced locally. We focus on all areas of e-mobility, from electric cars, trucks, and buses to machines and marine. Our modular and scalable charging system and world-class software are designed by EV drivers for EV drivers, enabling the best user experience for our customers around the world. Kempower is listed in the Nasdaq First North Growth Market Finland. 

www.kempower.com

About Nimbnet

Nimbnet is a Swedish charge point operator specialised in heavy transport. Each station provides fast charging of all vehicles and each slot is designed for wheelchair accessibility. Nimbnet take a holistic approach, working with partners to make electrified transport the most convenient, economical, and sustainable choice for persons, goods, and society. The aim is to accelerate electrification to stay within the IPCC 1.5-degree target to stave off climate disaster.

https://nimbnet.com/   

About GotlandRing

GotlandRing is the world's most sustainable race circuit, powered by 100% renewable energy. Built in 2003 and situated within an official eco-region of Sweden’s historic Gotland Island, the 4.53 mile (7.29 km) circuit also ranks as the longest circuit of modern standard. GotlandRing has a rich history of pioneering sustainability and eco-friendly initiatives, including the SmartRoad Gotland project: the world’s first electric road system with dynamic charging on a public road.

www.gotlandring.com 

About Virta 

Virta is a leading smart EV charging platform in Europe. It was ranked on the Financial Times 1,000 Europe's Fastest Growing Companies list for the fourth time in a row in 2023.

Virta’s digital EV charging platform is used by over 1,000 private and public companies and organisations in retail, hotel, real estate, parking, petrol retail, automotive, and energy industries. These customers operate over 100,000 chargers in 35 countries, forming the “Powered by Virta” network. Roaming included, EV drivers can access over 420,000 charging points in over 65 countries.

Virta builds a more sustainable future by making EV charging easier for EV drivers and profitable for companies, and by connecting EVs to the energy system. Virta has 34 patent families with a focus on energy management capabilities, which are central to the future connected energy and mobility ecosystem.

www.virta.global