EU provides 45 million euros for 1,400 new charging points
The aim of an EU program called Drive-E is adding 1,400 public charging points for trucks and cars, to be installed on major roads in 13 European countries by the end of 2027.
A consortium of Germany-based energy company E.ON, Bulgarian-controlled electric vehicle charging (EVC) station operator Eldrive Holding and Slovak power distributor ZSE has secured 45 million euro ($47 million) in EU funding to expand EVC infrastructure across Europe, the companies said on Friday.
The initiative aims to install charging points for both passenger and commercial EVs, with dedicated truck-charging sites and mixed-use hubs.
The project is one of 39 alternative fuel infrastructure initiatives recently selected for EU funding under the second phase of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (AFIF) which launched in February 2024 with a 1 billion euro budget.
Through its subsidiary E.ON Drive Infrastructure, E.ON operates over 6,000 public charging points in 11 European countries. The DRIVE-E project will add 1,400 new public charging points by end-2027, including 430 points for heavy commercial vehicles, each with a capacity of at least 350 kW, the three companies said in a joint press release.
The charging stations will be installed at over 250 locations across 13 EU countries, including Bulgaria and Romania, along key trans-European freight transport routes (Germany, Austria, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia).
Zapadoslovenska energetika (ZSE), a member of the E.ON group, operates a nationwide network of alternating current, direct current and ultra-fast charging stations.
Eldrive Holding, owned by Bulgarian-founded Austria-based Renalfa Solarpro Group, operates more than 2,000 charging points in Lithuania, Romania and Bulgaria, with a focus on fast and super-fast charging. Earlier this week, the company opened its second EVC park in Lithuania, with plans to launch a third one in June.
Last year, Eldrive secured 40 million euro in venture debt from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and 15 million euro in equity financing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). By 2028, the company aims to install and operate 7,400 new EVC stations across Lithuania, Romania and Bulgaria.
According to Eon, the 1,400 charging points include 430 charging points for heavy commercial vehicles with an output of 350 kilowatts or more. The charging points for cars and commercial vehicles are to be set up along important freight routes. "This includes locations specifically designed for charging trucks as well as mixed environments for trucks and cars," it said.
Source: seenews.com