As Norway and the Netherlands have become EV capitals, Germany has lagged behind – according to conventional wisdom, because of resistance from the all-powerful German auto industry, combined with consumers’ love of high-speed, long-range driving on the autobahn. However, this picture is changing quickly. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, this year German sales could… Read more »
Belgium-based Punch Powertrain is acquiring France-based power electronics expert Apojee, which supplies inverters for Formula E, as well as components for OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers in the German and French automotive industries. The Apojee acquisition adds a fourth European development center for Punch Powertrain, in addition to its existing facilities in Belgium, the Netherlands… Read more »
Since EV charging company EVBox was founded in the Netherlands in 2010, it has grown to see its charging stations in over 30 countries around the world, powering nearly 1,000 cities. “On a global level, we have more than 50,000 connected smart charging stations. We have the largest installed base worldwide,” EVBox CEO Kristof Vereenooghe… Read more »
Automakers and policymakers around the world are preparing for the transition to EVs. Toyota, Volvo, VW, BMW, Mercedes and other brands are setting ambitious sales goals and investing substantial sums. Norway, the Netherlands, France, the UK and China are talking about phasing out sales of legacy ICE vehicles. There’s just one key group of stakeholders… Read more »
Charging network operators Allego and Fortum Charge & Drive will collaborate to build an interoperable charging network in metropolitan areas and along highways in more than 20 European countries. The MEGA-E project will include 322 “ultra-fast” chargers and 27 “smart charging hubs.” The roll-out is planned to begin in the first half of 2018, beginning… Read more »
Dutch manufacturer Port Liner has developed what it says are the world’s first fully electric, and potentially crewless, container barges, which are to begin operating from the ports of Antwerp, Amsterdam, and Rotterdam this summer. The vessels, designed to fit beneath bridges as they transport goods around the inland waterways of Belgium and the Netherlands,… Read more »
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has handed over the first e-Crafter electric vans to customers from Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Sweden, who will be testing the new vans in everyday use until mid-2018. The customers include package delivery services, energy suppliers, trade businesses and individual retailers whose vehicles cover between 70 and 100 km per… Read more »
Australian EVSE manufacturer Tritium has supplied 25 of its Veefil-RT 50 kW fast chargers for the Belgian stage of the EU’s UNIT-E fast-charging network. The new chargers are positioned along motorways, linking the country’s major cities. The goal of the UNIT-E project is to modernize transport infrastructure across the EU. The Belgian phase, which is… Read more »
Dutch charging network operator Fastned has raised 12.3 million euros in a public bond issue. The company will use the new funding to further expand its network of fast chargers in the Netherlands, Germany and other European countries. Fastned currently has 63 fast-charging stations operational, and a new series of stations is under construction. It… Read more »
Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell has agreed to buy Dutch charging network operator NewMotion, which manages over 30,000 charging points in 25 European countries. Shell has already started to install fast charging stations at its branded retail locations in Britain, the Netherlands, Norway and the Philippines. Shell Recharge, which has been introduced in partnership with… Read more »