- The industry-first sustainable charging prototype, developed and co-patented by Siemens and Nexii, is designed for electrifying fleets and for high demand charging applications like football stadiums
- The prototype design enables quick installation at scale, allowing for fast expansion to meet the growing demand for EV charging infrastructure
- This is the first prototype of the Nexii partnership program expanding green building products for low-carbon innovations across industries
February 24, 2022 — (Vancouver/ Unceded Territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations) —
Siemens Corporation (Siemens) and Nexii Building Solutions Inc. (Nexii) today unveil a new sustainable EV charging prototype, developed and patented for charging large numbers of electric vehicles in outdoor environments. Built using Nexii’s sustainable building material, Nexiite, and developed in a modular design, this prototype makes installing EV chargers faster, more cost-effective, and with reduced impacts to the environment.
The prototype was rapidly conceived and developed in partnership with Siemens and Nexii in six months, from ideation to implementation. Installation of the prototype was in only three days at Siemens’ Research & Development hub for Electrical Products and eMobility solutions.
Created using Nexii’s ground-breaking building material, Nexiite, which has comparable properties to concrete with significantly less embodied carbon, the weather-resistant design can be used in environments from small office building parking lots to a football stadium.
Nexiite was used to create the vertical structure to support Siemens Sentron™ Busway systems that connect to power the EV chargers. The charging infrastructure is cast directly into Nexiite. The busway power distribution equipment is manufactured at Siemens 540-person manufacturing hub in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Not only is use of Nexiite reducing the environmental impacts of the EV unit, but the above ground design also allows for minimal disruption to land and environment. On-site construction waste, excavation, and groundwork – all with potential ecosystem disturbances – are near-zero with the Siemens-Nexii EV unit. There are also substantial reductions in required labour and significantly minimized potential safety issues with the rapid assembly, modular design.
“With the ever-increasing demand for EV infrastructure across the United States and beyond, we recognize a real need for fast deployment, scalability, easy upkeep, and reliability,” said John DeBoer, Head of Siemens eMobility, North America. “I’m proud of the work being done with our partner Nexii and our team in Georgia, a state recognized as a growing national hub for electrified transport innovation. We are continuing to develop and deploy the infrastructure that will enable our country to embrace EVs at scale. Technologies like this system are proof a nationwide EV network isn’t out of reach, and we’re helping make it a reality.”
“Construction and transportation are two of the biggest sources of carbon emissions driving climate change today,” says Stephen Sidwell, co-founder and CEO of Nexii. “Bringing together Siemens and Nexii demonstrates the power of rapid ideation and development of solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems. We’re excited to unveil this initial EV Charger prototype and look forward to even more innovations we can make working together.”
The co-patented design combines Nexii’s sustainable building products and rapid delivery of green buildings with Siemens’ expertise in residential and commercial chargers, charging depots for commercial fleets, and infrastructure systems to power electrified bus lines.
Siemens and Nexii announced their corporate partnership in September 2021 as part of Nexii’s integrated technology partner program. This is the first announcement of their combined product development going to market, with several other collaboration announcements expected to come in 2022 and 2023.
About Nexii
Nexii Building Solutions Inc. (Nexii) is a green construction technology company that is committed to building a vibrant future for people and the planet. Nexii designs and manufactures high-performance buildings and green building products that are sustainable, cost-efficient and resilient in the face of climate change.
The Nexii System also significantly reduces construction timelines, enabling the rapid development of green buildings across North America. Nexii is suited for industrial / commercial / institutional, mixed-use, multi-family residential and single-family homes, as well as for the green retrofit market.
For more information, visit www.nexii.com, or connect with us on Instagram (@NexiiBuilds), Twitter (@NexiiBuilds) or on LinkedIn (Nexii Building Solutions).
Siemens Smart Infrastructure (SI) is shaping the market for intelligent, adaptive infrastructure for today and the future. It addresses the pressing challenges of urbanization and climate change by connecting energy systems, buildings and industries. SI provides customers with a comprehensive end-to-end portfolio from a single source – with products, systems, solutions and services from the point of power generation all the way to consumption. With an increasingly digitalized ecosystem, it helps customers thrive and communities progress while contributing toward protecting the planet. SI creates environments that care. With around 70,000 employees worldwide, Siemens Smart Infrastructure has its global headquarters in Zug, Switzerland, and its U.S. corporate headquarters in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, USA.
Siemens Corporation is a U.S. subsidiary of Siemens AG, a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 170 years. Active around the world, the company focuses on intelligent infrastructure for buildings and distributed energy systems and on automation and digitalization in the process and manufacturing industries. Siemens brings together the digital and physical worlds to benefit customers and society. Through Mobility, a leading supplier of intelligent mobility solutions for rail and road transport, Siemens is helping to shape the world market for passenger and freight services. Via its majority stake in the publicly listed company Siemens Healthineers, Siemens is also a world-leading supplier of medical technology and digital health services. In addition, Siemens holds a minority stake in Siemens Energy, a global leader in the transmission and generation of electrical power that has been listed on the stock exchange since September 28, 2020. In fiscal 2020, Siemens Group USA generated revenue of $17 billion and employs approximately 40,000 people serving customers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
