RVM Invest commission 5 Smappee charging stations for public charging at Oh’Green garden centre
As the electrification of vehicles accelerates, particularly in the commercial sector, RVM Invest has taken a proactive step by installing five Smappee charging stations at Oh’Green garden centre in Zwijndrecht. In March this year, the investment firm partnered with installer DKE to complete the installation. “At any time of the day, we have full visibility of which charging stations are in use and their charging speeds. The Smappee Dashboard is an incredibly handy tool,” remarks RVM Invest.
RVM Invest, a family-owned investment firm, focuses primarily on logistics and industrial property development. “We also engage in residential projects and retail properties,” says Managing Director Koen Ally. “We purchase land and develop it according to the needs of our tenants.”
Two years ago, RVM Invest acquired the Oh’Green garden centre. Due to its proximity to the E17 highway, they saw an opportunity to provide convenient EV charging for customers and staff. “We chose three AC chargers and two fast-charging stations to meet the growing demand.”
Seamless collaboration with Smappee and DKE
The decision to work with Smappee was straightforward for RVM Invest, given their positive experience with the Smappee Smartstop project at the Pajot shopping centre in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw. “During discussions about that project, we realized the potential for installing Smappee stations at Oh’Green,” Koen adds. “We were aligned from the start — Smappee’s practical approach, beautiful design, and user-friendly software were evident advantages.”
For installation, Smappee recommended DKE, a long-term partner. “DKE has been a specialist in industrial electrical projects since 1978,” explains Koen Hamers, Owner of DKE. “We sought a Flemish manufacturer with strong expertise, which led us to partner with Smappee. Their advanced load balancing feature, which optimizes power distribution among vehicles, is a key benefit.”
Overcoming challenges with high-voltage infrastructure
The installation had to be completed by the end of March 2023, a tight deadline that DKE successfully met under the guidance of their project managers. “The main challenge was increasing the capacity of the high-voltage cabinet and managing the groundwork and cabling,” notes Hamers. “Throughout the process, we ensured that the garden centre continued to operate without disruption.”
Due to the roof structure of the garden centre, installing solar panels was not an option, so the charging stations rely solely on grid power.
“At any time of the day, we have full visibility of which charging stations are in use and their charging speeds. The Smappee Dashboard is an incredibly handy tool”
Koen Ally, Managing Director at RVM Invest
Smart, accessible charging solutions
The five charging stations have now been in operation for over six months, and RVM Invest is very pleased with their performance. “The use of both AC and DC charging stations is steadily increasing,” says Koen Ally. “We haven’t yet seen all five stations occupied at once, but we expect that to happen soon as electrification develops.”
The stations are always accessible, even outside of the garden centre’s operating hours, providing convenient charging for staff, customers, and passersby. “It’s especially convenient for people heading onto the E17 or through the Kennedy Tunnel,” Ally adds.
Oh’Green Zwijndrecht Branch Manager, Alex Fexis, is also a regular user of the fast-charging stations. “Like many of our customers, I find the process quick and easy, and the stations accept all kinds of charge cards.”
Expert training and support
DKE also has high praise for its partnership with Smappee. “The company provides a dedicated training platform that has significantly enhanced our installers’ expertise in handling installations. As a result, we’ve established a strong partnership with Smappee. Additionally, we can always count on their responsive and well-developed help desk. For instance, when a charging station we installed was recently temporarily out of order, it was swiftly repaired—much faster compared to our experiences with other providers. Whenever customers give us a free hand, we will always choose Smappee,” concludes Koen Hamers.
Customer RVM Invest
Country Belgium
Industry Investment firm
Profile
RVM Invest is a family investment firm. Formerly active in prefab industrial construction, the family’s current activities mainly focus on logistics and industrial real estate development. In addition, it also works on residential projects and peripheral retail properties, purchasing land and developing it in accordance with the tenant’s size and requirements.
The challenge
RVM invest’s portfolio includes Zwijndrecht garden centre Oh’Green. Due to its convenient location – a mere stone’s throw away from the E17 highway– RVM Invest decided to install three AC charging stations, plus two fast-charging DC charging stations. This had to be completed by the end of March 2023 at the latest, all without compromising the garden centre’s flow of operations.
The solution
On Smappee’s recommendation, Kluisbergen-based installer DKE was commissioned to handle the installation. Its team handled the groundworks, cabling and power upgrade of the high-voltage cabinet on site. As requested, all works were completed before the end of March 2023, while the garden centre was able to continue carrying out its everyday operations. The charging stations can be accessed by staff, customers and other public users, whose experience paying with a wide variety of charge card is smooth and streamlined.
The results
- Load balancing ensures proper balance between shopping centre and charging station power demands
- Properly managed power supply from the public grid for cars from all users
- Extra income for RVM Invest
- Car park now fully adapted to the needs of electric vehicles
Why Smappee?
- Quick and easy use of DC charging stations.
- Well-developed training platform for installers.
- Quick and easy installation, with good communication between all parties.
- Full overview of charging sessions via the handy Smappee Dashboard.
- The unique ability to combine AC and DC charging, along with load balancing, all at the same installation, with easy management via one single dashboard.
- Beautiful design of the charging stations.
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