Over the next three years, E.ON and CLEVER will establish a network of 180 ultra-fast charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) in seven countries connecting Norway to Italy. The network is appointed as an EU flagship project and has received €10 million in funding from the European Commission.
Although it is still early days, both companies are seeing a global shift towards electric vehicles. Countries, as well as the EU, are beginning to make pledges to phase out petrol- and diesel-fueled cars and consumers and car manufacturers are switching to electric vehicles. In parallel, the car manufacturers are making technical progress and launch attractive new EV models.
Now, international energy and e-mobility Company E.ON and Denmark based e-mobility service provider CLEVER make electric driving easier. The two companies will connect Europe with 180 ultra-fast charging stations for electric vehicles in seven countries over the next three years. The project has received support from the European Commission’s Connecting Europe Facility program (CEF) of €10 million and has been named a flagship project by the European Commission, as one of only four projects out of a total of 349 applicants. The EU project is related to 160 of the 180 stations. In addition to the EU project, the partnership will also establish stations in Norway with the Norwegian service station chain YX.
The 180 sites are the first wave of charging stations to be spread across Europe. But this is only the beginning. Earlier this year, E.ON and CLEVER formed a strategic partnership with the ambition to offer 150 kilowatts (kW) charging at more than 400 sites in a network that allows current and future e-mobility users to drive seamlessly through Europe.
“Together with strong partners, we are taking a joint step towards establishing a comprehensive ultra-fast charging infrastructure in Europe. It is a testament to our commitment to provide convenient e-mobility solutions for our customers in Europe. We see a reliable ultra-fast charging network in combination with our home and destination solutions as main prerequisites for a mass market adoption of electric mobility,” says Frank Meyer, Head of Innovation and B2C at E.ON.
Casper Kirketerp-Møller, CEO at CLEVER continues: “We are not just putting up charge points. We are designing charging stations with customer needs in focus, to ensure our customers have the same good and reliable experience no matter where they meet our brands. We believe that the combination of being able to cater for almost any car brand, securing the right locations and offering customers well thought through solutions will be part of convincing people that EVs are a real alternative to conventional cars.”
The 180 stations will be spread across seven countries. The majority of the locations will be built in Germany, followed by France, Norway, Sweden, UK, Italy and Denmark. Each of the stations will provide 2-6 charging points and will be rolled out in Europe during the next three years. The first sites will be located in Germany and Denmark.
Facts:
- The first wave of the project will cover 180 sites in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and France and Norway.
- CLEVER and E.ON SE receive support from the EU (CEF program) 10 million EUR from 2017-2020.
- YX in Norway is a facility partner to the project.
- The sites will be placed every 120-180 km along motorways.
- The sites will offer 150 kW charging, with potential for upgrade to 350 kW.
- The first sites are under construction in both Germany and Denmark.
- The ultra-fast charging stations will initially enable charging of a full 400 km range battery in only 20-30 minutes, and charging time will be further reduced as charging capacity is increased and vehicle technology develops. Charging time depends on the specific car.
- The sites will be equipped with 2-6 chargers each.
- The stations will offer charging with CCS (European standard for fast charging).
E.ON is one of Europe’s largest energy companies offering a wide range of energy solutions including integrated products and solutions for e-Mobility. E.ON takes part in the transition towards a fossil-free future and focuses on renewables, energy networks and customer solutions. During the past decade, the company has invested more than €10 billion in renewables. E.ON offers a wide range of e-Mobility solutions for private, business and public customers, and has a strong focus on partnerships with leading e-car sharing companies and e-Car manufacturers. E.ON has for the past couple of years been operating a large volume of urban charging points and fast-chargers along the Danish highways. Now, E.ON is rapidly expanding its charging services and customer solutions in Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Romania.
CLEVER is an electric mobility service provider founded in 2009 by energy companies SEAS-NVE and SE. Since then CLEVER has paved the way for tomorrow’s sustainable mobility and has connected Northern European cities by deploying a coherent fast-charging network in Denmark, Sweden, and Northern Germany. CLEVER is well known for its partnerships with different car manufacturers in developing and offering innovative customer-centric charging solutions, such as ‘CLEVER Unlimited’. The customer-centric approach to products is not only reflected in the development of new and groundbreaking products, but also in the choice of quality charging technology that is easy to use. CLEVER’s focus is 100 percent electric with the vision to accelerate tomorrow’s sustainable mobility – inspiring everyone to drive electric.
Photo: Courtesy of CLEVER A/S
