Rarely used until five years ago, fast-charging stations are now flourishing on European motorways. In Belgium, Fastned has decided to go even further by planning the first service areas reserved exclusively for electric vehicles.
After winning a tender organised by the Flemish road authority, the Dutch company will be able to operate two service areas on the E17 motorway in Gentbrugge from 2024. Each service area will have a charging station with twelve fast charging points with a charging power of 400 kW. Fastned assures that the electricity supplied will come exclusively from the sun and wind. The station will also be equipped with a shelter to protect users from bad weather.
Specific locations will also allow heavy goods vehicles and vehicles with trailers to recharge. Although these service areas will be the first of their kind to have no petrol stations, they will still be able to accommodate thermal vehicles. Traditional services such as sanitary facilities, shops, playgrounds and picnic areas will remain. If the experiment is successful, Fastned will set up other electric service areas in Europe.
