Episode 33 - Grid-Forming Charging Hardware: The Interface Unlocking the Digital Grid, with Kwetta
Send us a textIn this episode, host Christophe speaks with Mike Lazelle, CEO and co-founder of Kwetta - a highly innovative hardware company helping Charge Point Operators (CPOs) deploy high-power EV charging sites without the grid headaches. From avoiding million-euro upgrade costs to reducing site activation timelines from years to months, Kwetta is bringing a radically different approach to the energy hardware space — with grid-supportive functionality built right into the charger. After raising their Series A in November, Kwetta is now expanding into Europe, targeting Benelux, the Nordics, Germany, and the UK. What You’ll Learn Why batteries aren’t always the right answer for grid bottlenecks How Kwetta’s technology enables faster, more cost-effective connections What it takes to deploy heavy-duty charging at scale How CPOs can position themselves to win in the flexibility market Why grid-friendly charging will be a key competitive edge going forward Chapter Highlights 00:00 – Intro and welcome 00:36 – Mike's move from New Zealand to Amsterdam 01:40 – The origin story: co-founding Kwetta with fellow engineers 03:00 – The turning point: solving charging and grid problems in one box 04:40 – What Kwetta does and how it helps CPOs 06:24 – Kwetta in one sentence: get megawatt charging up in months, not years 06:50 – Rising grid costs, long delays, and how Kwetta addresses them 08:13 – Why Kwetta doesn't require a battery to solve DSO problems 09:00 – Integrating with smart energy management systems 10:30 – Case study: saving €1M and 2 years of delay at a constrained site 12:40 – How DSOs are responding to Kwetta’s approach 15:00 – Flexibility markets and future participation 16:40 – The evolving role of the CPO in grid balancing 18:00 – Kwetta’s rollout strategy and European focus 19:30 – What’s next: partnerships, pilots, and scale 20:45 – Advice to CPOs: why trucks change everything 21:50 – What excites Mike about 2026 22:35 – Final thoughts and wrap-up Want to learn more about Virtual Power Plants? 🎓 Join our free Masterclass on Virtual Power Plants for EV charging, hosted by FLEXECHARGE CTO Robert Brehm. We’ll explore how VPPs work, what they mean for CPOs, and how to prepare your charging infrastructure for flexibility markets. 👉 Sign up here: https://www.flexecharge.comYou can get more information on our website.Give us some stars please🌟 If you enjoyed the episode, please give it a 5-stars note and leave us a review. Get in Touch:Do you have suggestions for future guests or topics? Reach out to us at
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