Published on: 2026-07-22
Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
A fast charging station for electric vehicles has opened in Vyborg. The project was implemented by the company “RKS-Energo” — the guaranteed electricity supplier in the Leningrad region. It was based on the final qualifying work of students from Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. Vladislav Sedov, German Kobozev, and Mikhail Bovkis defended their comprehensive final qualifying work in the summer of 2025, and almost a year later saw how their calculations were brought to life in a functioning facility.
The students studied at the Graduate School of Production Management at the Institute of Industrial Management, Economics, and Trade, specializing in “Production Management in Energy.” The topic of the work, “Development and Management of Electric Transport Support Infrastructure in the Leningrad Region,” was chosen intentionally. “RKS-Energo” has long collaborated with the Polytechnic, and the company’s CEO, Bislan Gayrabekov, proposed formalizing a real project in the format of a comprehensive final qualifying work. He also chaired the state examination committee at the defense, which took place on June 17, 2025.
The comprehensive final qualification work is written by a team, so each participant took on a separate direction. Mikhail Bovkis was responsible for the technical part, Herman Kobozev — for the financial model, Vladislav Sedov — for market analysis.
“We quickly realized that we needed to figure out every part of the work, but for in-depth analysis, each focused on their own area”. — said Mikhail Bovkis.
Vyborg was chosen as the pilot site. The city hosts the district branch of “RKS-Energo,” and the tourist flow ensures stable demand. Vladislav Sedov analyzed dozens of possible locations. Initially, the list was narrowed down to five addresses, then to three, and finally only one, the best one, remained.
“We evaluated availability, accessibility, demand, installation cost, and complexity of technological connection. An online survey in the personal account on the company’s website also played its role: customers confirmed that they really need fast charging in Vyborg.” — Vladislav noted.
The station is located in the parking lot near the business center, adjacent to the embankment and the central square. While the car is charging, its owner can take a stroll around the city or stop by a café. Mikhail Bovkis compared equipment from various manufacturers based on technical and cost characteristics and settled on Rewatt stations, assembled with Russian components and domestic software.
“Fast charging is exactly what suits a tourist location. Slow charging is convenient at home when the car is parked all night. Fast charging saves time and increases customer flow.”— explained Mikhail.
Data from smart meters showed that there is sufficient power reserve in the area, so network modernization was not required.
German Kobozev built the financial model of the project and calculated the risks. The team considered the main ones to be the denial of land rights, lack of capacity, and increase in equipment prices.
“We proposed to conclude a lease agreement with the administration in advance, submit an application for technological connection, and fix prices with the manufacturer. We also took into account government support measures, including subsidies for such projects,” — Herman said.
On behalf of the university, the leadership of the comprehensive graduation thesis was carried out by the academic supervisor of the educational program “Production Management in Energy,” Associate Professor Inga Skvortsova of the Higher School of Production Management (HSPM), with Associate Professor Irina Bagaeva acting as a consultant. Training at the Higher School of Production Management is based on solving real client tasks, so students were accompanied at all stages by top managers from “RKS-Energo.” The reviewer, General Director of the company “LOESK” Andrey Sizov, noted the high practical significance of the study. His assessment proved prophetic: almost a year passed from the defense to the station opening, and reality deviated from the students’ proposals only in the final design, which the authors could no longer influence.
Today, the station in Vyborg simultaneously charges two cars from Chinese and European manufacturers. The next points will have three sockets, so owners of American cars will also be able to connect. The company intends to develop the network throughout the Leningrad region: currently, the placement of stations in the Kirovsky and Tikhvinsky districts is being discussed, and in the future, they will appear in the districts of the region with the highest tourist flow.
For two graduates, the project became the start of their careers. Mikhail Bovkis works as a specialist in the project implementation department at “RKS-Energo” and continues to develop the network of charging stations, while German Kobozev has become a lead specialist in the wholesale market operations department.
“Working on a real project teaches responsibility. Thanks to the company team and the Polytech teachers, we saw both sides of the coin: academic and practical” — admit the graduates.
To students who are just choosing their thesis topic, they advise not to be afraid of difficult tasks: “Seek the unknown, and knowledge will come to you.”
“For our university, the strategic ongoing task is the implementation of practice-oriented education and seamless employment of graduates. Systematic collaboration with industrial partners is of particular value, where the enterprise is involved in the educational process at the stage of student training. As a result, the employer receives ready specialists with the necessary competencies and skills, who do not require additional training. The project created by the students skillfully combines engineering training with managerial approaches aimed at improving production and economic efficiency. And, most importantly, this project has been successfully implemented in practice within the company’s activities.” — commented on the obtained results the Vice-Rector for Educational Activities Ludmila Pankova.
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.