The Sallandse Heuvelrug is a beautiful nature reserve in the eastern part of the Netherlands. The area attracts many visitors each year, who can now explore the surroundings using electric scooters (E-choppers). The growing company Verdan saw an opportunity to provide an affordable electric means of transportation.
The municipalities surrounding the nature reserve strongly encourage the use of electric transportation to preserve the area and keep it enjoyable for both people and wildlife. To keep costs as low as possible, Verdan decided to work with unattended, self-service rental stations.
NLT was commissioned to develop the electronics and accompanying software for these charging stations. The charging station allows each E-chopper to be physically secured in place using a locking mechanism while it is automatically charged. This ensures that the scooters are safely stored and eliminates the need for users to connect charging cables themselves.
When an E-chopper is placed in the correct position, the charging station wirelessly identifies the vehicle. The scooter is then secured using an electromechanical locking mechanism, after which the charging process starts through the integrated electrical connection.
By communicating with the battery charger, the charging station determines when the E-chopper has been fully charged and is ready to be rented out again.
