The number of electric cars is growing rapidly. For this reason, a housing company in Naantali decided to purchase charging stations in its parking area. Residents were concerned about many questions: Finland's climate is demanding, and temperatures can vary from freezing to scorching heat - is there a system that can be relied on? How will residents be billed for electricity use? What about those members who do not have an electric car?

Two Walle 64T chargers electrifying two parking spaces in the courtyard of a housing company. — A housing company in Naantali chose Walle64T, which enables the use of the eParking billing service. *Photo: Suvi Elo*

Fate intervened. “Our housing company suffered major water damage. Among other things, the old, outdated main electrical switchboard had to be replaced,” says Pia Sykkö, the housing company’s board chairwoman. “That’s when the idea came to fruition that it was high time to replace the car heating system and at the same time acquire a charging facility for electric cars. That’s what we’re talking about today.”

The choice fell on Walle chargers

At the general meeting held in spring 2023, the residents were in favor of purchasing the charging system. “The car heating posts had reached the end of their useful life, as they had accumulated decades of service life. Some of them had to be repaired from time to time, and the most complete one would have been soon in front of them anyway. It made sense to do a major renovation at once, so that the yard would not have to be dug up several times,” says Sykkö.

The housing company already knew of two good suppliers of electric car charging systems, which it had met at a trade fair. The operators also presented themselves at the housing company meeting. The choice fell on Trafomic Oy, a Raisin-based company founded in 1983, whose products include Walle chargers . “One of our most important selection criteria was price. Secondly, we wanted a local operator that cooperates with the electricity company we use , Salamasähkö . Their recommendation influenced the choice,” Sykkö describes.

Walle and eParking: easy to use and reliable

The installation of the Walle charging system began with the removal of the old heating posts in October 2023. New cables were installed in the ground and new devices were installed in the yard, which can both heat and charge the car. The system was put into operation in early 2024.

At first, there was a small problem. “We chose the eParking billing service, but the completion of which was slightly delayed. We fiddled with extension cables for a month and a half, but the wait was worth it. Walle's system is very easy to use and reliable,” says Sykkö.

The eParking system can be managed both with a smartphone and a web browser. “There were some minor startup difficulties with it at the beginning,” says Kalevi Wasström, a member of the housing company’s board. “We could have received help from both Walle and the electricity company, but there was a clever resident in the building who guided others. After that, using the Walle chargers and the eParking billing service has seemed simple.”

Walle chargers already in over a hundred housing companies

Walle chargers are designed and manufactured by Trafomic Oy, a company based in Raisio, Finland, which has 40 years of experience in the design and manufacture of demanding electrical devices and components.

“Walle chargers are part of Trafomic Oy’s business. Walle was founded in 2019, and to date we have delivered electric car charging systems to over a hundred housing associations in Finland,” says Product Manager Tomi Mäkinen from Trafomic. “In addition to housing associations, we also sell charging stations for public use and households.

“The best part is that each uploader only pays for what they use.”

According to Mäkinen, the Naantali housing company was delivered the Walle64T system, which was launched in 2023 and enables the eParking billing service. “Walle eTolppa charging stations enable the use of the eParking billing application at our charging stations, so user identification and billing of the electricity used is effortless. All you need for user identification is a smartphone. In addition to faster charging, the range also includes solutions for more affordable slow charging,” he says.

Walle 64T charger with a charging cable attached, held by a person's hands. — *Photo: Suvi Elo*

Technical support and warranty

According to Mäkinen, positive feedback has come from other housing companies in addition to the Naantali housing company. “We have received praise for the functionality of the systems. Technical support is easy to get, and warranty matters work well if necessary. We can handle any problems quickly.”

Mäkinen admits that Finnish weather conditions pose their own challenges for electric car charging systems. “The temperature can vary from -30 degrees Celsius to almost +30 degrees Celsius, and our devices can withstand this.”

Increase in value for apartments with an investment of approximately 60,000 euros

The housing company believes that the acquisition of the Walle charging system was a very successful one. “There were some minor problems during the commissioning, but Walle and the electricity company helped to resolve them. Now the shareholders are satisfied with the ease of use and reliability,” says Sykkö.

The system cost around 60,000 euros, of which almost 20,000 euros were still eligible for state support until the end of 2023. “We didn’t think the price was bad. The company has 25 apartments, and the fee is divided according to the square footage of the apartments. Everyone pays for the use of Walle chargers according to their consumption.”

Billing based on electricity consumption is handled by the property management in the eParking service every three months. “The best thing is that each charger can monitor their own consumption in the eParking application in real time and only pay for what they use,” Wasström praises. The housing company’s shareholders have already noticed that the purchase of Walle chargers has contributed to increasing the value of the housing company. “People easily think that they will never sell their apartment, but life situations change. The possibility of charging electric cars has clearly benefited: there was immediate demand for a few apartments that came up for sale,” says Sykkö.

This is what a Walle charging station looks like

Walle charging stations are Finnish key tag products. They are manufactured at the Trafomic factory in Raisio.
Walle charging stations are designed to withstand the harsh conditions of the North. All Walle charging stations have a durable metal shell, which allows them to function in all weather conditions.
Several models also allow the use of billing operators. In the Naantali site, the housing company uses Walle 64T and with it the eParking service.
The system can be installed both as a pole mount and as a wall mount. Suitable for indoor and outdoor use.
There are various smart solutions for load management. There are also wireless solutions on offer, which avoids the need to dig up extra cables.
Walle chargers offer many different systems for different applications. The actual electric car charging stations are available with a maximum charging power of 22 kW, but the range also includes more affordable solutions for slow charging.

The text is based on a reference article by Trafomic Oy, the original version of which was published on June 5, 2024. You can read the article here .

Naantali housing company: Fate intervened in the housing company's choice of electric car charging equipment: "Price and convenience were the deciding factors."