Pilot project successful:
After just over a year, the City of Cologne, charging infrastructure operator TankE GmbH and Rheinmetall AG have completed field testing of a total of four charging kerbs in public street spaces. The pilot project started in April 2024 at two locations in Cologne-Lindenthal to validate the practicality, urban planning and design benefits and acceptance of the charging solution.
According to Rheinmetall, an accompanying case study revealed: "With more than 2,800 successful charging processes - an average of more than two per day and charging point - and a technical availability of over 99%, the Rheinmetall charging curb not only proved to be powerful and reliable in all weather conditions, but was also in regular demand." With the completion of the pilot project, the four charging points will now be transferred to regular operation.
"With our product, the charging electronics are integrated into the dimensions of a standard kerb to enable electric vehicles to be charged directly at the edge of the road - without disruptive bollards, without interfering with the sidewalk area and without compromising on safety or aesthetics," explains Christoph Müller, CEO of Rheinmetall's Power Systems division. "The charging curb we have developed is a production-ready product that rethinks urban charging infrastructure: space-saving, robust, low-barrier - and integrated into existing urban structures."
A total of more than 50 MWh of energy was charged during the test - an average of around 19 kWh per process, which corresponds to a range of around 120 kilometers. "The compact, modular design enables quick and easy maintenance by replacing the charging module within the kerb. In this way, an almost continuous operational readiness of more than 99% was achieved at low operating costs," emphasize the developers.
Positive user feedback
To accompany the field test, users shared their experiences via a questionnaire between August 2024 and March 2025. On average, they rated the loading kerbs with 4.38 out of a possible 5 overall points, with older participants (over 60 years) giving a particularly positive assessment. Users particularly appreciated the opportunity to introduce charging facilities on site across the board and the ease of use.
Compared to conventional charging points, the charging curb is also said to score points in areas such as blending into the existing cityscape, protection against vandalism, saving space, maintaining the line of sight and reducing the risk of tripping hazards from charging cables. The project partners attest to the slight advantages of the charging curb in terms of ergonomics, user-friendliness and accessibility. In discussions, the simplified parking, easy use even from the road, the fact that protective bollards are not required and the possibility of one-handed operation were mentioned in particular.
The solution only scored slightly lower in terms of visibility. The aim is to improve this through targeted markings and integration into navigation and charging apps in regular area operation. Further developments have already been implemented during the pilot period: improved dirt drainage and optimized lighting around the charging socket ensure greater resistance to environmental influences and improved handling.
According to the company, operators of the charging curb from Rheinmetall benefit from reduced installation and maintenance costs compared to conventional charging stations. There is also the option of pre-equipping so-called "hollow curbs", which can be easily retrofitted with charging modules as charging requirements increase. Following completion of the pilot project, the charging curb is now available as a series product.
