Four of Europe’s largest electric vehicle (EV) charging companies announced on Wednesday that they have joined forces to create the continent’s largest public charging network.
The new alliance, called Spark, includes Italy’s Atlante, Germany’s Ionity, the Netherlands’ Fastned, and France’s Electra. Together, they will share their networks, totaling 11,000 charging points and 1,700 charging stations across 25 European countries.
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The new network is set to surpass the number of charging stations operated by Tesla in Europe. However, Quentin Wilson, a British motorist journalist and founder of the EV lobby group FairCharge, noted that Tesla still holds an advantage due to its “simple no-nonsense interface with the consumer.”
Starting in June, customers will be able to access and pay for ultra-fast charging up to 400 kW through any of the Spark alliance member apps. This collaboration comes as the European auto lobby, ACEA, has urged for faster infrastructure rollout to address concerns about driving range and increase EV adoption.
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Despite the ambitious goal of the Spark alliance, the expansion is coming at a time when EV demand is slowing, and the EU is adjusting its emissions regulations. The European Commission has projected that 3.5 million charging points will need to be installed by 2030 to meet demand, nearly three times the current annual installation rate.
Electra’s CEO, Aurelien de Meaux, expressed skepticism about the EU’s targets, stating that “quality matters more than quantity” when it comes to charging infrastructure. The alliance members emphasized that their priority is not to match Tesla’s network size but to offer a high-quality, scalable infrastructure.
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Langezaal, a representative of Fastned, acknowledged that the expansion of high-quality charging infrastructure would complement Tesla’s network. “The fact that there is another big network focusing on quality, providing infrastructure at scale to EV drivers is important for Tesla,” he said.
De Meaux also suggested that Tesla could potentially join the alliance in the future, noting, “They could qualify because they offer a fast and reliable charging experience, but I think that’s more a question for tomorrow.”