Covestro : EVBox Group to use polycarbonate from Covestro from mass-balanced biowaste

The expansion of electromobility is progressing, and the need for charging stations is growing accordingly. The European Green Deal fixes a target of one million public charging points to be available by 2025. They will be needed to power the 13 million electric cars then expected on European roads.

Covestrois driving the transition to electromobility with innovative material solutions and has been cooperating for more than ten years with EVBox Group, a leading Dutch full-service provider for electric car charging. By using Makrolon^® RE, the ISCC PLUS-certified mass-balanced polycarbonate, both companies aim to achieve an even more sustainable solution.

The objective is to set a new standard for charging infrastructure: while electric vehicles no longer require fossil fuels for power, both partners are now looking to conserve resources for charging stations as well and equip them with more sustainable materials. Joint developments are just beginning, but ISCC PLUS-certified Makrolon^® RE has already cleared one important hurdle: it meets the technical requirements of charging station manufacturers.

Keeping an eye on the life cycle

"It is important to us to think about the entire life cycle of charging stations right from their development and design," explains Wijnand Diemer, Senior Director, Product Management at EVBox Group. "These include circular materials as source materials, a modular design that facilitates repairs, and last but not least, the remanufacturing of components and entire charging stations. We are pleased to have Covestro as a competent and trustworthy partner for this."

A partner that will soon support EVBox with even more sustainable materials. Makrolon^® RE series plastics come from recycled waste and residues. Like the standard products, they are recyclable, and also durable. Some products are even carbon-neutral from cradle to factory gate, thanks to the introduction of raw materials derived from mass-balanced biowaste and residues, and renewable energy into the production process. This should significantly reduce their carbon footprint compared with standard types.

Dr. Niklas Meine from Marketing Electrical & Electronics in the Engineering Plastics segment, EMEA, at Covestro, adds: "In order to meet the technical requirements, special material properties are essential. These include impact resistance, color fastness, and surface quality as characteristic features that polycarbonates have to meet in very different climatic regions, including outdoors. The key factor here is durability. Our Makrolon^® RE series offers outstanding technical properties based on alternative raw materials, thus allowing for significant CO₂ emission savings as early as in the production of charging stations."