Episode 50 - Battery-Backed Charging: How Q8 Electric Is Scaling Beyond Grid Limits

Episode summary 

Fast charging is entering a new phase. For many CPOs, the challenge is no longer simply installing chargers — it is securing enough grid capacity, keeping rollout speed high, and delivering a reliable charging experience even when the grid is constrained. 

In this episode of the Charge Point Podcast, Christophe speaks with Geert de Mil from Q8 Electric and Joost de Meester from Intercel about why co-located battery energy storage systems are becoming a structural part of fast-charging infrastructure. 

Q8 Electric is scaling towards 500 high-power charging locations across the Benelux, and as Geert explains, the traditional model of “connect chargers to the grid and go” no longer works at scale. Grid connection lead times, limited capacity, and commercially attractive locations without sufficient power are forcing CPOs to rethink site architecture. 

Together with Joost, we explore why batteries are no longer just a nice-to-have, but a critical enabler for fast charging: helping sites reduce dependence on large grid connections, buffer peak demand, improve reliability, and prepare for future use cases such as arbitrage and flexibility markets. 

The conversation also goes beyond the business case. We discuss the technical complexity of integrating chargers, batteries, smart meters, grid constraints, and an energy management system in real time — and why the real value of BESS comes from making the whole system work together without compromising the driver experience. 

What you will learn 

In this episode, you will learn: 

• Why grid constraints are becoming one of the biggest barriers to fast-charging rollout. 
• How Q8 Electric is using co-located batteries to support its expansion across the Benelux. 
• Why batteries are shifting from “nice-to-have” to structural infrastructure for CPOs. 
• How BESS can help reduce the size of required grid connections while maintaining charging performance. 
• Why power boosting is often the first and most important use case for battery-backed charging. 
• How peak shaving, dynamic load management, arbitrage, and future ancillary services fit into the value stack. 
• Why the integration challenge is not the battery itself, but the orchestration between the car, charger, battery, grid, and energy management system. 
• What can go wrong if response times, restart logic, and control signals are not properly managed. 
• How Q8 Electric thinks about customer experience, uptime, predictability, and ROI. 
• Why truck charging and megawatt charging will make batteries even more relevant in the coming years. 
• How future fast-charging sites may evolve into intelligent energy hubs. 

Key topics discussed 

From fuel sites to energy hubs 

Geert explains how Q8 Electric emerged as part of Q8’s broader mobility transition, and why fast charging now requires a much more sophisticated site architecture than simply installing chargers. 

The grid as the breaking point 

As Q8 Electric scales towards hundreds of HPC locations, grid availability has become a key constraint. The best commercial locations are not always the locations with enough power, which makes batteries essential to unlock rollout opportunities. 

Why BESS is becoming structural 

For Q8 Electric, batteries are no longer optional. They help deliver predictable, reliable, fast charging while reducing stress on the grid and making the operator a more responsible grid user. 

The Intercel perspective 

Joost shares how Intercel sees the market evolving, why battery demand around EV charging is accelerating, and how European assembly, service, and integration capabilities matter in complex infrastructure projects. 

The real integration challenge 

The episode highlights why EV charging is more demanding than many other BESS use cases. A charging session can stop suddenly, power flows change instantly, and the system must react in milliseconds to keep the site stable. 

Sizing and business case 

Geert explains how Q8 Electric learned to size batteries together with Intercel, using simulations to balance battery capacity, charger demand, grid limits, and future expansion needs. 

Value stacking - but with priorities 

The discussion covers power boosting, peak shaving, dynamic load management, arbitrage, and future flexibility markets. But the priority is clear: customer experience comes first. The battery must support fast charging, not interfere with it. 

The future of battery-backed charging 

The guests look ahead to more battery-backed HPC sites, truck charging, megawatt charging, and public energy hubs where grid investment, charging infrastructure, and storage are planned more strategically. 

Featured guests 

Geert de Mil, Q8 Electric 

Geert leads charging technology, systems, and insights at Q8 Electric, focusing on everything behind the charger: site architecture, hardware, digital systems, monitoring, energy management, and the infrastructure needed to make fast charging reliable at scale. 

Joost de Meester, Intercel 

Joost is commercially responsible for part of Intercel’s business. With a background in sales, business development, and previous experience at Tesla working on charging infrastructure, he now focuses on helping customers deploy battery systems for the energy transition. 

Memorable insight 

“The future of fast charging will not only be about adding more chargers. It will be about building smarter sites — where chargers, batteries, grid connections, and energy management systems work together as one integrated energy system.” 

Recommended resources 

• Watch the webinar: “The Power of Co-Located Batteries — Unlocking the Full Revenue Potential” - link here 
• Interested in the solution side of the story? Listen to Episode 43 of the podcast where Christophe discusses with Topias Koskela from Enico, a leading BESS OEM from Finland 

Keywords 

EV charging, fast charging, high-power charging, HPC, BESS, battery energy storage, co-located batteries, Q8 Electric, Intercel, energy management system, grid constraints, peak shaving, power boosting, EV charging infrastructure, charge point operators, CPO, truck charging, megawatt charging, flexibility markets, energy hubs. 

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