MILESTONES
CTEK CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF INNOVATION 25 years ago in Vikmanshyttan – a small village in Dalarna, Sweden – CTEK was born
CTEK is the brainchild of the company’s founder and Swedish inventor Bengt Wahlqvist, coming about after he developed the first ever battery charger to use electronic pulse technology. A constant quest for innovation has been central to the company’s success to date. CTEK has several product world-firsts and a raft of prestigious awards under its belt which has helped the company to sell over one million battery chargers in 70 countries, all over the world, every year. Following about a decade of innovation since it was founded, by 2012 CTEK was introduced into the Australian market offering technology to meet the demands of vehicle owners, professional workshops and applications in many other industries. Locally, CTEK’s DC-DC range has proven to be popular with Australia representing the largest market for this product anywhere in the world. A testament to Australia’s great love and appreciation for the great outdoors and the quality of CTEK’s versatile product range. CTEK has subsequently gone on to develop a whole host of revolutionary products and solutions including the PRO range of professional workshop chargers. The latest innovation from CTEK is the CS ONE, which represents the only battery charger in the world driven by CTEK’s revolutionary APTO (Adaptive Charging) technology and is due for local launch in Australia later this year. Recently, the CS FREE, the world’s first multifunctional portable battery charger and smart maintainer with adaptive boost technology was launched in Australia to great acclaim. The CS FREE can be recharged off-grid via a solar panel accessory, cig socket or auxiliary battery, making it the perfect product for Australia where we love to make the most of our beautiful natural environment. Based on its technological leadership, CTEK says it has established strong and long-standing customer relationships with more than 50 of the world’s most prestigious vehicle OEMs.
The company also has a strong emphasis on research and development with two research centers based in Norrköping and the company’s founding city of Vikmanshyttan. “We have CTEK super fans in our local market. There are those that have been using the same CTEK charger for ten or more years and are huge fans of the reliability and ease of use of our charging range,” CTEK Regional Sales Manager for APAC, Paul Oddy, said. “CTEK after 25 years remains a company that is firmly focused on the needs of its customers. “We conduct independent surveys that understand the changing needs of our customers and it is from these insights that some of our most innovate products have been ideated. “CS FREE is a perfect example of this. Our customers wanted a product that was a four-inone solution that they could take off-grid and from this feedback CS FREE was born.” Having acquired Swedish electric vehicle charging specialist CHARGESTORM in 2018, CTEK says it is also now one of the market leaders in the fastgrowing EVSE (electric vehicle supply equipment) market, backed by 10 years of experience. Globally, CTEK is also playing its part in driving for a greener future, though these products are yet to be launched in the Australian market. In 2021, CTEK achieved a public listing on the Stockholm Nasdaq main market, further
demonstrating its world leading position within its sector and ensuring the company is ready for the next step in their growth journey. “The CTEK brand is synonymous with top quality, highly trusted vehicle charging solutions the world over, and our success is down to our unique culture that’s based on a passion for innovation,” CTEK Chief Executive Officer, Jon Lind, said. “Also central to every CTEK product is intelligence, and we are devoted to harnessing the most advanced technology to meet our mission, which is to deliver innovative, safe, flexible, reliable and easy-to-use charging solutions for all types of vehicles. “As we go from strength to strength, we’re proud that our technological innovations have earned us prestigious awards from the international automotive press, including ‘product of the year,’ ‘best in test’ and ‘must have product,’ along with a solid reputation for quality and reliability, and the respect of our customers, partners, and peers.” CTEK says it continues to evolve from strength to strength in Australia and has several exciting products on the horizon including new innovations for workshops. As cars become more complex and reliant on sophisticated electronic systems, CTEK says it has risen to the challenge, innovating a selection of battery charging equipment that is assisting with keeping vehicles working reliably and on the road. For more information, visit www.ctek.com Australian Automotive Aftermarket Magazine July 2022
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