IBIL, the Viscaya, Spain-based electric vehicle charging operator, has agreed to acquire 90 charging stations from ZIV Metering Solutions—the automation division of Mumbai, India-based Crompton Greaves (CG) Ltd. The company declined to furnish the value of the order.

This is the second deal between the Spanish and Indian entities. IBIL —a joint venture between REPSOL, the Spanish oil company, and EVE, the Basque Energy Agency— had earlier selected CG's automation arm for the design and supply of 150 charging stations.

ZIV’s EV charging stations are smart grid-enabled, communicating information in real time to and from meters and generators. Moreover, Crompton Greaves offers comprehensive smart grid solutions through its end-to-end product offerings ranging from meters and protection devices to routers, current sensors and EV charging stations.

CG EVP and president of Automation Norberto Santiago said, "CG has bagged this order from IBIL in the face of intense competition from large and established original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for the automotive industry and the Spanish industrial administration. EVs will play an important role in the electricity network of the future and help meet important challenges such as Europe's 20-20-20 objective, wherein the continent aims to reduce carbon dioxide by 20 percent, source 20 percent of energy from renewable sources, and lower energy use by 20 percent. CG is an important player in this promising market."

CG CEO and Managing Director Laurent Demortier said, "I thank IBIL for reposing its trust in the expertise and differentiation CG brings to the table. The repeat order is a reflection of our strong capabilities in the important and growing smart grid segment. CG is well-positioned— in technology, R&D, manufacturing, and access to market— to seize wide-ranging opportunities."

In related news, in February 2012, IBIL inaugurated a new Control Center at its headquarters in the BEC Tower that will enable it to control all of its installed charging points nationwide, both for public service and for individuals or businesses.

The Control Center has two operator positions, two support positions and a crisis room; as well as a video wall designed to share information easily between operators and personnel, and to display maps, images, statistics curves and data with the highest graphic quality. The system controls IBIL's two main businesses: the recharging infrastructure and the car-sharing system operated by the company’s IBILEK subsidiary.Regarding the former, the system makes it possible to access location maps, monitor the state of each recharge point, access the schematics of the terminals at each location (augmented reality) and intervene directly on the terminals in the event of any incident or by request from a customer. The management system records all operations carried out on each terminal, relating the corresponding consumption and billing to each user. Customers can connect to the system online or by mobile phone and access the user area to determine the details of their recharging actions, or to reserve public points in advance. 

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