German "Charging Curbstone" Enters Mass Production, Offering Smart Solution to Urban EV Charging Challenges
Published Time：
2025-10-05 14:44
Source：
July 9, 2025 — Rheinmetall's innovative "Ladebordstein" (Charging Curbstone) has completed pilot testing and entered mass production. This groundbreaking charging system, embedded directly into city curbs, seamlessly integrates charging technology with urban infrastructure, offering an efficient solution to electric vehicle charging in space-constrained urban areas and marking a significant step toward invisible, smart charging infrastructure.
This clever response to urban charging challenges delivers three key advantages:
Space-Saving Integrated Design
Eliminating the need for standalone charging stations, the system embeds charging functionality directly into existing curbs, blending naturally with streetscapes. This approach conserves land resources, avoids occupying parking spaces, and removes safety hazards caused by cables crossing sidewalks—transforming charging facilities from urban obstacles into invisible infrastructure.
All-Weather Reliability
During a year-long pilot in Cologne, four charging points completed over 2,800 charging sessions with 99%+ availability, maintaining stable operation through rain and snow. Built-in heating ensures functionality in freezing conditions, while optimized dust and drainage management addresses cleaning concerns. User satisfaction reached 4.38 out of 5, confirming the system's convenience, safety and environmental compatibility.
Modular, Cost-Effective Scalability
Supporting up to 22 kW AC charging—providing approximately 120 km of range per session—the system meets urban overnight charging needs. Modular design keeps installation costs comparable to or lower than traditional chargers, requiring only minimal equipment for implementation. The innovative "hollow curbstone" design reserves space for future expansion, allowing cities to quickly add charging capacity as demand grows.
The technology proves particularly valuable in dense residential areas, multi-unit dwellings, and historic districts. Düsseldorf has already installed the first production units along Derendorfer Allee with plans for additional sites by year-end. The system's seamless integration enables EV adoption in historic areas without compromising architectural character, creating a new model for coordinating urban preservation and green mobility.
Rheinmetall will enhance visibility through colored markings and navigation app integration to further improve user experience. While currently focused on AC charging, the system's low cost, easy maintenance and strong adaptability have attracted interest from Cologne's TankE and Düsseldorf's municipal utility. As production scales up, costs for private applications are expected to decrease, offering cities worldwide a replicable German solution to the "charging space bottleneck" that supports both EV adoption and sustainable urban development.
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