With the launch of the Ratio io6 Pro, Nijkerk-based Ratio Electric has once again added an innovative and flexible charging solution to its range. The charging station is equipped with advanced features for a stable back office connection and Dynamic Load Balancing. Moreover, the charging solution is compatible with solar panels. In addition, Ratio has integrated inepro Metering's PRO380-Compact. This small MID-certified meter provides accurate energy metering and meets legal requirements for corporate billing, giving you a precise overview of charging costs at all times. According to Johan Klunder of Ratio, choosing the PRO380-Compact was a decision made after considering several important factors. "Besides the compact size and increasingly important certifications, the ability to mount the meter correctly in the charging station played a crucial role," Johan explains. "The PRO380-Compact was the only meter on the market that could meet our requirements."
From the first electric car to the charging station
Ratio Electric was established over 50 years ago as a Dutch family business specialising in the production and sale of cables, wiring harnesses and connectors. However, the idea of developing charging stations arose unexpectedly. The founder's son decided 15 years ago to convert his SMART petrol car into an electric vehicle. Once the project was completed, he realised that his very first license plate-registered electric car in the Netherlands also needed charging.
The following years were characterised by tremendous technical advances. Whereas the first charging station was not much more than a 'glorified socket', Ratio Electric now makes innovative charging stations with Cloud integration, mobile apps, RFID readers, various communication technologies, links to CPO software solutions and more. Meanwhile, Ratio Electric has entered into a strategic partnership with UK-based FW Thorpe Group, with a strong focus on international expansion, particularly in the UK, Scandinavia and Southern Europe.
Development of the Ratio io6 PRO charging station
Johan Klunder, now four years at Ratio, as Head of R&D, leads a team of 14 talented engineers whose primary focus is the development of embedded software. Hardware production is also done locally. "Several years ago, after identifying specific needs in the market, we as a team started developing our new charging station. In our focus areas, such as leader in electric driving Norway but also England, we see a huge growth of the corporate market. These markets demand increasingly stringent legislation, making accurate measurements of energy consumption essential for fair and transparent billing," Johan says. "We expect more and more countries to make the use of MID-certified meters mandatory. Therefore, integrating a MID meter was high on our list of priorities for the new io6 Pro."
The power of partnership
During a visit to Smarter E Europe in Munich, Johan met Jasper, Business Development Manager at inepro Metering. Jasper discussed the development of the PRO380-Compact, a small MID meter. "After its launch, it turned out to be a perfect fit for our charging station. However, an additional requirement from our side was that the meter could be mounted on a PCB," says Johan.
While most charging station manufacturers mount their components on a DIN rail, Ratio Electric opted for PCB mounting in the design of its new charging station. This offers several advantages: it makes the charging station more compact, lowers production costs, speeds up the assembly process, and simplifies component repair and replacement. "After all, you only need to remove the PCB with the component, after which it can be easily repaired or replaced at our premises. That also makes it more sustainable," says Johan.
Although the PRO380-Compact was already a perfect option for Ratio's new charging station due to its small size and MID certification, the meter was not yet suitable for PCB mounting. "At that point, we partnered with inepro Metering as 1 team to make this happen. A prototype was then developed with four integrated copper bars, allowing it to be easily mounted on the PCB. This process went very naturally in my opinion; the cooperation was great with a lot of attention. Working together technically so smoothly would have been more difficult if we had had to do this with a big party that is less flexible," says a content Johan.
The benefits of local partners
Ratio Electric prefers to work with Dutch companies that share the company's values. "We are transparent, in close contact with our customers, and support the installers. They can always count on us if they want to speak to someone for support. We also want to boost the local economy," says Johan. Ratio's circuit boards, for example, are produced in Veenendaal by Makso. At the same time, the plastic caps are made by Rizz "around the corner". The cables are assembled by the Inclusive Group, a sheltered workshop. Sustainability, speed and the Dutch reputation for innovation also play a significant role in the choice of local partners.
Future plans
As for the future, Johan is looking at V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid) technology with great interest, which enables electric cars to not only absorb power but also feed it back into the grid. "V2G can help the grid stay balanced, and the electric car acts as a mobile battery. Accurately measuring energy consumption is essential here," says Johan. "For us as a charging station manufacturer, this means we need super-accurate meters that can record both consumption and feed-in, especially when it comes to business lease cars.
Additionally, we observe that MID-certified meters are becoming an increasingly required standard, and we will need to integrate them into all our new charging stations. Also, we intend to further implement PCB mounting. So we see a lot of great opportunities to work with inepro Metering in the future," concludes Johan Klunder.
Photo credits: Ratio Electric
