From innovation to growth: the DIC Laadsystemen story

|“In 2012, we asked ourselves a simple question,” says Raymond Deurloo, founder of DIC Laadsystemen. “We were selling charging stations from various manufacturers, but they were all inconveniently large. Couldn’t it be done smarter?” 

With his background in industrial electrical panels, Raymond saw an opportunity. “We’ve been building our own panels for years. How hard could it be to develop a more compact and elegant charging station? After thoroughly researching the technology, we brought together the highest-quality components available.” 

The result: today, DIC Laadsystemen manages over 4,000 charge points and more than 13,600 charge cards are in circulation — a clear sign of growth and a successful partnership with Last Mile Solutions.

“The biggest misconception about EVs was that they would remain a niche. Now we know electric driving is the future,” says Raymond. 

The first steps: pioneering in the charging market 

“After the success of our first charger, a hospital in Twente requested several more. Back in 2012, charging with a card wasn’t yet standard,” Raymond recalls. “A simple push-button system was enough at the time. We contacted Last Mile Solutions.”

“‘They said that ‘you can use our charge card system, but you’ll also need a back office.'” 

That personal approach was typical. “Send us your logo, and we’ll create a portal for you. Oh, and of course you’ll need charge cards too. That’s how the first 1,000 charge cards came to life. Six months later, the first eight dual chargers were up and running at the hospital. And they’re still being used intensively today — without any issues,” says Raymond proudly.

In one glance: full control of our charging network 

“The feature we value most in the Last Mile Solutions platform is the map of the Netherlands showing all our charge points. These are displayed in different colors — red means there may be an issue. As soon as we see a red dot, we investigate right away. What’s causing the fault? It needs to be fixed immediately,” Raymond states.

He continues: “We also constantly monitor the ticket system, where new customer and charge card requests appear. When a new registration comes in and a charging point is installed, we contact the customer almost immediately. We then discuss their preferences and the options for using and managing the charger.”

Personal contact works better 

“For us, it’s not about selling as many chargers as possible — it’s about satisfied customers. You can always call us, and we’ll keep helping until it works,” says Raymond.

“That’s also what I appreciate about working with Last Mile Solutions — their personal approach,” he continues. “Just like us, they’re happy to help directly. You really have to do this together. A few times a year, we schedule in-person meetings, either at our office in Borne or at theirs in Rotterdam. Unlike online meetings, personal contact brings out the best in both parties and leads to better results. Personal contact works better.” 

The future: from charging to smart energy solutions 

“Ten years ago, we thought it was all about offering charging points. But what we’ve really learned is that it’s about integrated energy solutions,” says Raymond. “Today, the biggest challenge is: how can we charge as much as possible within the available contracted capacity?” 

Grid congestion means that expanding the electricity grid is often not possible — or takes too long. Fortunately, Last Mile Solutions has a solution. 

“We’re now using EDGE from Last Mile Solutions to build an Energy Management System in combination with charging hubs.”

The on-site EDGE system ensures that charging is done smartly and efficiently. Using an energy meter, the system continuously monitors how much power the building and other fixed users are consuming. The remaining capacity is then allocated to charge electric vehicles. 

Once a car is fully charged, the available energy is automatically redirected to other vehicles that still need charging. Solar power generated on-site is also used to boost charging capacity. 

A major advantage of EDGE is that both AC and DC chargers from different manufacturers can be integrated into a single network. This means that existing chargers don’t need to be replaced, which significantly speeds up deployment. 

“We’re also currently working together to integrate battery storage systems, giving us even more flexibility and capacity,” Raymond concludes.

Curious how we can help your organisation with charging management and energy solutions? 

Feel free to get in touch for a personal introduction. We’re happy to think along with you — from your first charge point to a full-scale energy management platform.