Koolen Industries Products Group launches new company: Vigor
Hengelo, 22/06/23 – municipalities, government agencies and companies are in a split when it comes to the energy transition. The Netherlands strives to be CO2 neutral, at the same time the grid congestion map of Netbeheer Nederland is turning increasingly red. That is the conclusion of Koolen Industries Products Group, consisting of companies that make the energy transition tangible. After bundling the experience and knowledge of various companies within the group, it today announces the launch of Vigor, a partner for large-scale charging solutions in public spaces. Vigor will support municipalities, government agencies and companies in accelerating the energy transition and creating a sustainable and future-proof living and working environment.
On a mission
Koolen Industries Products Group concludes, in one of its companies with more than 30 years of experience in various sustainable solutions, that there is a need for one point of contact per market segment. In order for the energy transition to succeed, a number of challenges must be overcome, which means there is a need to bring together the right experts to tackle the problem from A to Z.
One of these challenges is solving an increasingly common overload of the electricity grid, which is reflected in this grid congestion map. Developing a smart charging station is one of the solutions to this problem. This smart charging station was developed and put into production in collaboration with We Drive Solar, an expert in the field of Vehicle-to-Grid and bidirectional charging, and Dutch production company NieuweWeme, which has been producing sustainable solutions for 30 years. This close collaboration has led to a charging station being developed from the drawing board in a very short time. This charger was launched in Utrecht, making Utrecht the first bidirectional region in the world. Vigor will continue this collaboration with partners such as We Drive Solar to convert the challenges that will face the electricity grid in the coming years into smart charging solutions.
“Bundling the knowledge and experience gained over the past 30 years of the various companies within Koolen Industries Products Group with regard to the charging ecosystem was a logical step. With the bundled in-house knowledge in Vigor, we want, together with important partners like We Drive Solar, make a difference in the transition to sustainable mobility,” said Gerben Hilboldt, founder and CEO of Koolen Industries Products Group and Vigor.
How Vigor tackles this
With the launch, Koolen Industries Products Group makes reliable charging infrastructure accessible to the public sector. Vigor offers powerful charging stations, designed to realize a reliable urban charging network. They are specifically made for public spaces, from urban areas to shopping centers and business parks.
Vigor approaches this with a special philosophy. No bells and whistles, no fancy displays that light up the neighborhood at night. Just simple, unobtrusive, robust charging stations that do what they were developed for. Vigor’s charging stations are produced here in the Netherlands, in a sustainable and ethical manner. They offer a range of innovative features, including a smart Charging Station Management System and advanced bi-directional charging technology. According to We Drive Solar’s calculations, large-scale deployment of this technology can completely solve grid congestion problems in the Netherlands. In this way, electric vehicles can play a more active role in the energy ecosystem in the Netherlands.
With the launch of Vigor, Koolen Industries Products Group is setting a new standard in the charging industry. The company is committed to supporting the transition to electric mobility and creating a sustainable future. Vigor is bursting with energy!
For more information about Vigor and its charging solutions, please visit vigorcharging.com.
About Vigor
Vigor was founded in 2023 by Gerben Hilboldt, CEO of Koolen Industries Group Projects, to bundle the knowledge and experience of the various companies within the group in terms of charging solutions and to offer a single point of contact for municipalities, government agencies and companies. Before the company was renamed Vigor, the same people, led by We Drive Solar, turned Utrecht into the world’s first bidirectional municipality. The company is committed to supporting the transition to electric mobility and creating a sustainable future.
About Koolen Industries
Koolen Industries was founded in 2019 by entrepreneur and investor Kees Koolen, with the aim of realizing the rapid transition to clean, renewable energy. Today, Koolen Industries has shares in more than 27 leading organizations within the clean energy industry. From generation to application, and beyond. Koolen Industries has the ambitious plan to become the leading supplier of full-service clean energy solutions in the next 5 years.
About We Drive Solar
We Drive Solar makes driving with the power of the sun possible. This arose from an ambition to make 100% clean mobility accessible to everyone. We Drive Solar is building the energy system of the future with thousands of solar panels, hundreds of electric (shared) cars and smart charging stations. All We Drive Solar cars run on locally generated solar energy from 10,000 solar panels. Together with various partners, including car manufacturers, We Drive Solar is making Utrecht the first bidirectional city in the world.
