Austria: OMV and Siemens open truck cranes in Lakirchen

Siemens announced in March that there will be another variant of the Sicharge D fast charging solution with a maximum output of 400 kilowatts. The company is now announcing the first location equipped with this charging station: a charging site in Lakirchen, Austria, on the Westautobahn.

The new, more powerful version of Sicharge D – previously available with up to 300 kW – enables dynamic charging of up to four vehicles at the same time. Siemens emphasizes that the 400 kW at point of charge is not just a short-term peak, but rather a “continuous and stable output power of 400 kW at an ambient temperature of 40°C.” The Sicharge D concept means, even in the 400 kW version, that the two charging points on the same pole can be supplemented by two additional charging points a few meters away using a so-called hub. Charging station technology can provide up to four charging points, but then with less charging capacity per charging point. For this purpose, Sicharge D has dynamic load management. According to Siemens, this functionality aims to improve charging times and provide financial and spatial benefits to charging station operators.

Additional features of Sicharge D are known to be: It has a multi-language touch screen with an intuitive user interface and cable management on both the charger and hub. This makes handling cables easier and makes charging as convenient as possible for drivers. According to Siemens, the high-performance charging system “Sicharge D” now enables voltages from 150 to 1,000 volts and charging currents of up to 500 amps at all DC charging ports.

In the Austrian location, Sicharge D also supports the AutoCharge function, so that the charging process starts automatically after connecting the cable. The attached press photos show that the charging station is located under a roof equipped with traditional gas pumps.

“Our charging stations provide up to 400 kW of constant power for flexible, individually designed charging operations. We offer future technologies according to all relevant standards, including barrier-free access,” says Gerd Polhammer, Head of Siemens Smart Infrastructure Austria. “Our focus is on tailored service, from initial installation to preparation for future requirements, in order to advance the mobility transition towards e-mobility.”

By the way: the new 400 kW chargers are still CCS devices. Looking at the MCS standard, Siemens now wants to move into the megawatt charging range. Only recently, a charging system from Siemens delivered a charging output of 1 mW for the first time in testing. The charging technology was the “Sicharge Megawatt Charging System”, which is based on the well-known Sicharge wallet.

For its part, partner OMV announced in September 2023 its desire to establish a fast charging network in Europe. At the time, there was talk of 2,000 charging points with a capacity of 150 to 300 kilowatts in four European countries by 2030 – specifically in Austria, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary. With a capacity of 400 kilowatts, the charging station that has now been opened is more powerful than the chargers that were announced nine months ago. “OMV has a comprehensive approach that includes several measures towards becoming a net-zero emissions company by 2050. As part of this goal, we are investing in new and innovative technologies and infrastructure projects, of which the electrification of freight transport is a strong pillar,” says Michel. Kopenik, Head of OMV's filling station business in Austria.

The Austrian oil and gas company was previously an investor in Austrian shipping network provider Smatrics. In August 2021, OMV and Siemens sold their shares in the e-mobility service provider. The two companies have known each other for a long time.

press.siemens.com