The first Enel Fast Recharge station has been installed in Altopascio (province of Lucca), in the region of Tuscany.
The project involves the installation of 250 charging stations by the end of 2018 in supermarkets, shopping centres and hypermarkets throughout the country.
Milan, December 14th, 2017 - Conad and Enel join together to support sustainable mobility, with a service that will be extended throughout Italy. The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to encourage the development and spread of electric mobility, providing for the installation of about 250 charging stations in supermarkets, shopping centres and hypermarkets across the country. Under the agreement, Enel will install in the parking lots of Conad locations Quick (22 kW) charging stations, which can recharge vehicles in less than one hour, and Fast Recharge (50 kW) stations, which will fully charge a vehicle in about 20 minutes.
The initiative is part of a programme that for some time now has seen the retailer involved in initiatives to support sustainability and members of the public who use it to make their choices.
An increasing number of Italians are changing their consumption habits out of a greater respect for the environment and the conservation of natural resources. This trend is confirmed by the performance of the electric or hybrid car market. Between 2005 and 2016 the number of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) grew at an average annual rate of 41% (Source: E-Mobility Revolution, Ambrosetti-Enel).
The first Fast Recharge station was installed at the Conad supermarket in Altopascio, in the province of Lucca (region of Tuscany), and is part of the EVA+ project, co-funded by the EU Commission and coordinated by Enel, which provides for the installation of 180 fast charging points along extra-urban routes to facilitate long-distance travel. More specifically, the agreement between Enel and Conad provides for the installation of up to 40 Fast Recharge stations in the parking lots of stores close to motorway tolls and about 210 Pole Stations for electric vehicles, light quads and motorcycles. Thanks to the technology developed by Enel, all the stations are managed remotely through the EMM system and recognise customers through a dedicated card or app.
“The attention paid to more environmentally respectful consumption models is increasing in Italy and Conad has long aimed to meet this new demand, placing greater emphasis on products and services that match the concept of environmental responsibility. The charging service for electric vehicles is part of this programme,” says Conad CEO Francesco Pugliese. “Italy still has a long way to go to achieve a true environmentally friendly development model. To achieve this goal it is not only necessary that governments play their part by implementing incentive policies, but also that companies take the lead and interpret sustainability as a component of growth. Businesses have a duty to start adjusting their business models, while encouraging eco-friendly consumption at the same time. And this is what Conad started to do.”
“The agreement with Conad,” says Francesco Venturini, Head of Enel X, “undescores the importance of having innovative partners who are willing to take a chance on the spread of electric cars in Italy through the creation of a widespread charging infrastructure. Our goal is to enable those who drive an electric car to move freely without limitations. The installation of charging stations in the parking lots of supermarkets and shopping centres lets you to optimise your time by recharging the car while shopping for groceries.”