In a sector where the next development is never far away, keeping pace can be a challenge.
Rob IJpelaar, Director of Operations at Peblar explains that “the actual EV transition still needs to happen, and we’re doing everything we can to be ready when it does. As an EV player, we can’t let things happen to us. When a new regulation comes into effect or when a new industry standard is introduced, you’re too late. We need to be the ones driving the change and staying ahead of the curve.”
It’s why Peblar is represented in various committees aiming for charging standardisation. Rob goes on to explain: “Different countries still work with different standards, which means that if you don’t comply with local regulations, you are not allowed to install certain equipment.”
With an increasing number of EVs on the road, the demand for chargers rises. While the solution may seem straightforward ('just build a lot of chargers'), the reality is far more complex.
“The most important development will be EV adoption; that’s what’s going to drive all of the other changes. Electric cars will be cheaper; the charging infrastructure will be better. The world electric, that’s what will be the most exciting development in our sector. The fact that we play a part in this change feels great.” (Rob IJpelaar, Director of Operations at Peblar)
Technology, regulations and adoption rates are changing daily, and charger providers must deliver both quantity and long-term quality and reliability.
“What Peblar does well in this regard is that we don’t see chargers as consumer electronics; we look at them as an extension of the car. If the charger doesn’t work, you can’t drive; it’s as simple as that. In other words, to make EV drivers happy, we must build the most reliable charger on the market. So that’s what we’re doing,” explains Rob.
To better understand the daily challenges of charging providers, Rob, together with Product Manufacturing Architect Bram Schroeders, take us behind the scenes of the Prodrive Technologies factory, which has the capacity to produce more than 150K EV chargers per year.
To understand the story of Peblar, we first have to tell the story of parent company Prodrive Technologies. They’ve been active in the EV sector since 2015 and can count some of the world’s largest car manufacturers among their customers.
Rob worked for Prodrive Technologies long before the company launched a dedicated entity for their EV chargers. “Thanks to our ties with Prodrive Technologies, there’s a deep understanding of production processes,” he says. “All of their experience with the automotive industry is right here in the factory in Eindhoven, and we can build and test everything in-house.”
This is also the thought behind Peblar's slogan, ‘Born Ready’. Rob:
It’s one thing to have the right ingredients; it’s another to use them to build a highly automated factory. Fortunately, Rob IJpelaar can dispel the mystery. “Our entire strategy is customer-driven,” he says. “We serve a lot of different customers with different requirements. Our smaller customers order chargers by the pallet; our biggest customers order them by the truck. We also see that the bigger the client, the more challenging their requirements. They require continuous improvement, delivery flexibility and frequent factory audits.” To meet all their customers' expectations, Rob and his team were highly motivated to set up a production line that’s easy to adjust to changing circumstances and order volume.
Bram Schroeders, Product Manufacturing Architect at Peblar, adds: “It’s a constant balance between speed and quality, where there should be no compromises towards the quality of our products. This is why we include the manufacturing team as early as possible in developing new technologies. Together, we ensure that what we come up with is workable in the short term and scalable in the long term.”
Rob emphasises the significance of incorporating key aspects early in the product development process with their mantra: "Design for manufacturing, design for test, design for purpose, and design for serviceability." By focusing on these four pillars, they guarantee the technology they develop is of high quality, scalable, and, most importantly, aligned with customer expectations.
When asked about Peblar’s greatest strength, Rob doesn’t need to think long. “It’s the people,” he says. “We built a diverse team with highly skilled professionals. They come from different backgrounds, creating great energy and even better results.” When asked how he gets it all done, he says, laughing: “I’d rather ask how we can do more! We’re all result-driven. We’re not just building chargers; we’re part of something much bigger. You can feel that focus and sense of purpose in our team.”
Bram adds: “The fact that Prodrive Technologies is so close by is a big help. We work at the same high-tech campus; they’re literally a three-minute walk away. We often collaborate with Prodrive Technologies experts and work on product development together. They have an in-depth knowledge of a broad spectrum of production technologies in multiple sectors like automotive and semiconductors, so we can shop in different departments and find the best solution for the EV charger production process.”
What is so "state-of-the-art" about the Prodrive Technologies factory?
Prodrive Technologies has a top-notch quality management system that meets the highest standards, including those for medical and automotive industries. Processes are all digital, with easy access to relevant documents and supporting tools. The factory itself is fully digital, too, with integrated workstations and automation where needed. Everything is connected digitally, from work instructions and production routes to maintenance procedures, roles, rights, and tools. This setup allows them to replicate the factory's success, increasing output in Eindhoven or even on a different continent using the exact same strategy.