2024-08-13 02:59:46
Despite a strong round of financing and contracts with large companies, Numbat Energy has to file for bankruptcy. The start-up is not the only company in the industry struggling with problems.
The start-up company Numbat Energy, which specializes in the development of fast charging stations with integrated battery storage, is in financial difficulties. As the industry portal “Electric Car News” reports, the Kempten District Court (Bavaria) ordered preliminary insolvency proceedings on August 9, 2024.
According to the portal, the deteriorating charging station market is not only affecting the German start-up. The Austrian manufacturer EnerCharge also filed for bankruptcy in July of this year.
Numbat Energy’s charging stations are extremely popular with customers because they have a buffer storage that enables fast charging even without the corresponding local network capacity. While only 20 kW of power is drawn from the line, the charging power can be increased using the electricity stored in the battery, the portal continues. As soon as no car is being charged, the battery then charges itself again, it says.
The plan was actually to connect the Numbat network to form a massive swarm storage facility and feed excess energy into the grid. Solar and wind energy was to be bought cheaply during surplus times and fed back into the grid at lucrative peak load prices. The proceeds would have saved the company from bankruptcy, writes the specialist portal.
Numbat had previously been able to conclude several important contracts – with companies such as Tegut, Norma, Euronics and Hagebaumarkt as well as Shell gas stations. The company had also been able to raise 140 million euros as part of a financing round. The future of the ongoing projects and the charging stations already installed is still open.