A suitable concept for the Häusler car dealership group

The multi-brand car dealership group Häusler is committed to strengthening urban e-mobility. Given the growing demand for electric vehicles, the current infrastructure is not sufficient. Therefore, their efforts are focused on the rapid development of charging points to meet both their own standards and the needs of their customers. Their primary focus is on improving location quality and optimizing operational processes. Having their own charging stations not only reduces the effort compared to off-site charging but also provides added value for customers—a service that is highly attractive and simultaneously opens up new revenue streams.

In 2019, Häusler began searching for a suitable partner to support them holistically and professionally in integrating e-mobility profitably into their dealership.

The world of car dealerships has unique requirements that set it apart from other industrial or logistics companies. It’s not just about one brand, but about diversity. The Häusler car dealership group offers a wide range of brands such as Opel, Citroën, Mazda, Jeep, Fiat, and Honda—each with its own specific requirements and characteristics in terms of safety, range, and battery capacity. Our task: How do we bring this diversity together under one "charging roof"? Additionally, we needed to identify ideal locations for the charging points on the expansive premises of the dealership headquarters on Landsberger Straße in the center of Munich, which spans over 20,000 m². The goal: to make operations more efficient and ensure short distances between the main distribution, charge management, and charging points.

Our project plans began in 2019 with a precise analysis of the individual site conditions and available electrical capacity. We determined the number of required charging points based on the current vehicle inventory and the dealer’s future electric vehicle lineup. We also took into account the mobility behavior of the customers, which plays a crucial role: in the city, e-mobility is already more widespread compared to rural areas. Information on new car sales, test drives, and workshop visits also provided important data for demand planning. We supported Häusler in every step—from decision-making through planning, implementation, and consideration of funding opportunities to smooth operation. As a general contractor, we constantly monitored the project process and managed subcontractors, such as those for the civil engineering of the charging station foundations.

In the following years, in addition to the dealership headquarters in Munich, we gradually equipped 12 more Häusler locations with charging infrastructure. The expansion was easy because we had already taken future requirements into account back then—such as preparing the sub-distribution and empty conduits. The heart of the charging infrastructure is always ChargePilot®, our cloud-based charging and energy management system, which breaks through manufacturer barriers and enables the integration of various charging station manufacturers. Ultimately, the goal was to create a forward-looking charging infrastructure that is accessible to everyone, regardless of the vehicle brand. All charging points in the dealership are dynamically and precisely managed by the system. It considers other consumers, building loads including welding machines, lifts, or car washes, and intelligently distributes the available power to the charging points at any given time. ChargePilot® currently controls around 47 different charging points—including 22kW AC charging points as well as fast-charging stations with up to 150 kW charging capacity.

For Häusler, intelligent load management means significantly less effort and cost. By avoiding grid expansion, savings of at least five figures were achieved. Thanks to our open interface architecture, the dealership group retains the flexibility to adjust both the number and manufacturers of the charging points. This forward-thinking approach ensures that Häusler can respond long-term and efficiently to the increasing demand for charging points.

Additionally, the technical department and employees at the various locations always have control over all charging processes thanks to the user-friendly ChargePilot® dashboard. At the dealership headquarters in Munich alone, around 250 charging processes are carried out monthly at 19 active charging points—such reports can be easily and conveniently exported. Häusler also benefited from funding: Using Munich’s funding program “Munich e-mobil,” the company received a subsidy of about 40% of the total amount for the first phase of electrification in 2019. The investment costs for equipping all 13 locations totaled 380,000€.