The Volkswagen Group has established a strategic alliance with BP to accelerate the deployment of a network of fast charging points for electric cars in Europe. It is expected that within 24 months there will be up to 4,000 charging points available. The recharging points that will be installed will have a power of up to 150 kW, enough to recover about 160 kilometers of autonomy in just 10 minutes.
The charging infrastructure is essential for the massification of the vehicle. The Volkswagen Group is aware of this issue and that is why it is establishing strategic alliances with the aim of promoting the deployment of a vast network of fast charging points that make the use of a fully electric car viable for long journeys. And proof of this is the latest cooperation achieved by this colossus of the European automotive industry.
The Volkswagen Group has partnered with BP to speed up the deployment of a network of fast charging points in Europe. The first recharging facility for electric cars resulting from this alliance is now a reality and is open to the public. It is located in Dusseldorf (Germany). On the agenda is the opening of hundreds of charging points. The ultimate goal is the year 2024.
The fast charging network that the Volkswagen Group promotes together with BP
In the The first phase of the project deployment will install up to 4,000 charging points
at BP’s Aral outlets in Germany and at BP’s UK outlets. A deployment that will take place over the next 24 months. By the end of 2024, there are expected to be up to 8,000 charging points in Germany, the UK and other European countries.
The Volkswagen Flexpole charging units that will be deployed have a power of 150 kW and have two charging points. They equip an integrated battery storage system, which overcomes one of the biggest obstacles today for the rapid deployment of fast charging infrastructure in Europe, the need to be connected to a high-power electricity grid.
This characteristic of Flexpole charging stations make their direct connection to a low-voltage network feasible. Therefore, it is no longer necessary to have a special substation and, therefore, the expensive construction works that it entails. The time required for installation is also reduced while providing fast charging speeds of up to 150 kW. A power that allows to obtain in just 10 minutes the necessary charge to travel up to 160 kilometers, depending on the electric car model.
Strategically located fast charging points
BP is allocating a significant amount of resources to expand its electric vehicle charging network, also in its huge network of strategically located points of sale. The charger locations will be integrated into both the navigation applications and the other programs of Volkswagen vehicles, SEAT and Skoda, as well as in the Volkswagen charging application, Elli, to facilitate the search for available charging points.
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volkswagen