Finnish retailer K-Lataus and Kempower join forces to expand the charging network in Finland: over a hundred DC fast-charging points to the K-Lataus network

Biggest trading sector operator in Finland, Kesko, continues its strong investments in developing the K-Lataus charging network in Finland. The charging technology is provided by Kempower.

This year, K-Lataus will heavily expand its charging network in Finland in collaboration with Kempower. With the expansion, K-Lataus’ charging network will grow by over a hundred DC fast-charging points throughout the country, located at key commercial locations for Kesko and along the main roads.

At this stage, the expansion includes four existing charging hubs, each of which will grow by 18 new DC charging points from the current setup. These stations are located in Heinola, Tampere region, Vantaa's Tammisto and Turku's Länsikeskus. Completely new charging sites will be built at K-Citymarket Ylöjärvi and Hämeenlinna. All charging hubs are located at K-Citymarket locations.

"We want EV drivers shopping at Citymarkets to always be able to rely on having charging available during their shopping trips. As the total power of each new charging hub is at least 1600kW, we are able to guarantee fast charging even for large customer flows. The EV driver can be confident that the time to wait for a free charging point is shorter than before," says Iiro Määttänen from K-Auto, responsible for K-Lataus charging network.

K-Lataus aims to expand the existing charging stations and to open the new charging stations during the summer and fall 2024.  "This is a significant step forward in the Finnish charging market," says Määttänen.

 

Extremely high performance

The charging technology for K-Lataus’ expansions and two entirely new charging sites will be supplied by the Finnish DC fast charging solutions provider Kempower. The technology represents Kempower's proven technology, providing extremely high performance, significantly enhancing the EV charging experience.

Other benefits of Kempower's charging technology include extremely high reliability and dynamic power distribution, improving charging availability. Kempower's charger design is driven by EV charging experience, enhanced by features such as cable management and user-friendly charging displays. The Kempower charging solutions to be installed for K-Lataus will offer up to 400 kW charging power depending on the vehicle. Kempower solutions support a charging voltage of 800 volts, just like the rest of K-Lataus's network.

"We are very pleased with the collaboration with K-Lataus, which once again makes EV travel easier for Finnish drivers. This new phase is a great example of the power of Finnish e-mobility expertise and collaboration, as well as the important role of retail in providing charging services. Kempower delivers one of the best and most efficient charging systems to K-Lataus," says Erik Kanerva, Sales Director for Northern Europe at Kempower.

"At the core of our strategy has always been to offer high-power charging in prime locations. Collaboration with Kempower really supports this goal," Määttänen adds.

There are a total of about 300 charging hubs and over 1500 charging points in K-Lataus’ nationwide network from Hanko in Southern Finland to Kittilä in Northern Finland.  The network has approximately 175,000 registered private and corporate customers. All electricity charged at K-Lataus stations is renewable and produced with domestic wind power.

Plugit continues as K-Lataus’ installation and maintenance partner.

  

For more information, please contact:
Erik Kanerva, Sales Director, North Europe, Kempower

erik.kanerva@kempower.com

+358405239355

 
Kempower media:
Paula Savonen, VP, Communications, Kempower

paula.savonen@kempower.com

+358 400 343 851

 

Kesko in brief: https://www.kesko.fi/en/

Biggest trading sector operator in Finland, one of the biggest in Northern Europe. Profitable growth strategy, 3 divisions, 1,800 stores in 8 countries, extensive digital services. One of the most sustainable companies in the world since 2005 (Global 100). Strong financial position with good dividend capacity, market cap €7.1 billion (31 Dec. 2023), some 105,000 shareholders.

 

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 and in the U.S. 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