9:04 am, April 29, 2022
Volkswagen and BP have launched a new partnership today to provide a faster rollout of electric vehicle charging points across Europe.
The VW designed Flexpole 150kW charging units feature two charge points and an integrated battery storage system.
It claims this will solve one of the biggest problems to the roll out of charging points, and that’s the need to install high-powered grid connections.
Instead, the Flexpole can be connected directly to a low voltage grid and removes the need for a dedicated substation.
The first phase will see 4,000 of these new charge points installed at BP’s Aral retail sites in Germany and BP retail sites in the UK over the next two years.
VW and BP say that up to 8,000 new charge points could be installed in Germany, the UK and other European countries by the end of 2024.
Herbert Diess, Volkswagen chief executive officer, said: ‘Volkswagen has been pioneering the transformation to e-mobility across Europe.
‘Today we have the broadest offer of electric cars in the market and sold more EVs in the region than any other carmaker last year.
‘Investing in everything from software, to batteries and charging is part of our strategy to make individual mobility safer, more convenient and fully climate-neutral.
‘The decarbonisation of Europe’s economy requires close collaboration across borders and sectors. We’re pleased to team up with BP to accelerate the rollout of the fast-charging network across Europe.’
BP chief executive officer Bernard Looney said: ‘EV charging is one of the key engines driving BP’s transformation to an integrated energy company.
‘That’s why we’re so excited by our partnership with Volkswagen. When you bring together one of the world’s leading car makers and one of the world’s leading energy companies – the opportunity is huge.
‘This is a significant step-forward on our journey to accelerate the electrification of transport in Europe.’
