The housing company has upgraded its car park to meet the needs of electric vehicles. The property manager already had positive experience with Walle chargers.
As electric cars become ever more widespread, housing associations must consider how their parking areas and garages will cater to current and future demand. As Oy Läntinen Pitkäkatu 27 in Turku has installed domestic Walle charging stations in its car park, a solution with which property manager Veikko Nieminen of Kiinteistöpiste Vuori Ltd was already familiar.
“It’s caused us no headaches,” Nieminen summarises in true Southwest Finnish fashion, reflecting on his experience with Walle charging stations..
In this car park, some spaces were allocated to shareholders and some to the city. Practically all shareholder bays were fitted with Walle charging stations, and the city-owned spaces were prewired for future installation.
“Right from the outset, over two-thirds of residents activated their charging station – a clear indication of demand. The project proceeded smoothly, indeed exceptionally well. At the time we benefited from ARA grants, so our infrastructure costs were well below €400 per space, and including the unit, came in under €1,300 per bay,” calculates Nieminen.
Price is a major determining factor when choosing charging stations – and equally important in valuing a housing association’s parking shares.
“Charge-readiness significantly boosts the value of a parking share, even if the motorist doesn’t immediately need a charger. Such an investment pays dividends many times over – both in convenience and capital appreciation.”
The property manager also carries responsibility for the association’s future asset value.
As Oy Läntinen Pitkäkatu 27 selected a domestic manufacturer’s charging stations, which stand out not only for their quality but also for their service.
“When considering a long-term solution, it’s savvy to choose a product with readily available spare parts and support. Moreover, the chargers’ timeless casing design is a major plus, as rows can be extended without turning the car park into a patchwork. We want our system to remain cohesive well into the future,” Nieminen explains.
Trafomic, the manufacturer of Walle, has been active in the electrical sector for over 40 years. Their expertise and pride in in-house product development underpin the quality of their offerings.
“We also lend a keen ear to our customers and integrate their insights into our development processes,” explains Tomi Mäkinen, Trafomic’s specialist responsible for the Walle range.
When trust is mutual, wishes can become reality.
“Walle has been exceedingly receptive to our ideas. For instance, the option to purchase the charging stations’ stands and covers separately is sometimes essential. And, to reiterate, we greatly appreciate that the casing remains consistent rather than being redesigned unnecessarily, even as the product evolves,” stresses Nieminen.
A decision well made
Decision-making isn’t always easy for a housing company’s board.
“The board can struggle to make decisions when there’s little or no prior experience with electric vehicles. In those cases, you may not yet have a clear idea of what to prioritise when choosing chargers. I was in favour of Walle because it’s manufactured domestically. If any questions or issues arise, it’s far easier to resolve them with a local supplier. But Walle has performed reliably and without a hitch; it’s been an unmistakably simple solution,” explains Jouko Haavisto, who served on the board of As Oy Läntinen Pitkäkatu 27 during the project—and is himself an electric-vehicle driver.
Installation work can be arranged through Walle’s installation partners across Finland, although most housing companies already have their trusted contractors.
“Everything went without a hitch. We have our electrician who carried out the installation. I’m looking forward to Walle’s next product, the ‘DuplaWalle’, which will provide two charging ports from a single unit. I’m sure we’ll be specifying Walle in our other properties too,” Nieminen promises.
When a reliable product, outstanding service and a well-engineered system are combined with domestic manufacture, the result is truly sustainable. Residents’ respect is earned—and the property manager’s peace of mind assured—without ever forgetting locality and Finnish craftsmanship.
26.5.2025
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