Interview with Ján Baláž about what the CIRCOTRONIC project has brought him.
How can we look at electromobility differently ? How to make it for people, not just for statistics ? And what does the circular economy have to do with it ?
We talked to Ján Baláž, representative of AgeVolt Slovakia s.r.o., which joined the CIRCOTRONIC project by testing circular economy tools. And he openly told us what the project gave him – but also in what ways it “set a mirror”.
How did you – as a company that makes charging stations – get into it?
Let’s face it – not many small or medium-sized businesses wake up in the morning with the idea that they’re going to do the circular economy. We’ve been doing what we believe in – sustainable, repairable and meaningful charging solutions. But it was only through the project that I realised that a lot of what we do intuitively is actually aligned with circular design principles.
What specifically has the project brought you?
Three things. First, that what we do – open design, modularity, serviceability – is deeply meaningful. Second, data and a methodology to look at our products critically. And third, a community of people who care about things as much as we do.
As part of the project, you also analysed your own products. What did you find?
We found that some of our solutions are already examples of circular design. To give you an example: Our charging stations are built with modular parts that are easy to replace – if just one component fails, there is no need to change the whole machine.
– In older models, we can reuse 80 to 90% of the components – especially control units, connectors, some types of displays.
– We use industrial aluminium enclosures instead of plastic – they are more durable, recyclable and can be reused even after years of use.
– Recently, we have even been able to recycle old batteries from other equipment as a backup power supply in our stations – without losing power.
Has the project changed anything in your approach?
Yes – for example, when designing the next generation of stations, we are now also thinking about how to make the interfaces standardised so that other companies or the community can exchange components in the future. We want to go down a more open-source route, which is still quite unusual in this sector.
Importantly, we have stopped being afraid to admit that we don’t know something. The project has shown us that this is not a weakness, but an opportunity. For example, in the area of end-of-life products – we still have reserves there.
And finally – what has the project given you as a person?
Honestly? A sense of calm. That what we are doing makes sense. That even though we’re not the biggest company in the world, we can change things for the better. And that it has value. Maybe not immediately in numbers, but certainly in impact.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT
For more information about the CIRCOTRONIC project, its goals, project partners, and more, you can find details at this link.
