Charging infrastructure for electric vehicles at IKEA stores in Switzerland

We carried out a study to give IKEA Switzerland a reliable basis for making a decision in the near future with regard to its plans to install charging stations for electric vehicles at its stores throughout Switzerland.

We first summarized the experience that IKEA has gathered in neighboring countries, outlined the most important risks and opportunities associated with the provision of charging services for electric vehicles and sketched the contribution such services would make to sustainable development. We then determined the number of charging stations per store (for customers and employees) that would need to be installed, outlined the advantages and disadvantages associated with the various charging specifications (charging output, AC vs DC, etc.) and estimated the associated investment costs. Finally, we reviewed various types of access and billing systems and submitted our recommendations to IKEA Switzerland along with a plan for organizing a call to tender for the design and installation of the charging infrastructure.