economy and politics

Tesla and five other companies launch an association to accelerate the expansion of the charging network

The Association of Ultrafast Recharge Operators will work hand in hand with Aedive

Dec. 5 () –

Tesla and five other electric vehicle charging companies – Zunder, Fastned, Allego, Electra and Powerdot – have launched the Association of Ultrafast Recharging Operators (AORU), an association to support the expansion of the charging network in Spain, as confirmed by the employer itself in a statement.

As of today, Tesla is the only vehicle manufacturer adhering to the initiative, although the sources consulted by Europa Press explain that the plan is “open” to other automobile companies, which could join the project soon, as well as to energy companies that , although they were present in the initial conversations, at the time of the association’s constitution they “finally” did not participate.

The objective of the project, beyond the expansion of the charging network for ‘zero-emission’ vehicles, is the minimization – not being possible to eliminate – the bureaucracy present around electric mobility.

“We want accessible mobility for everyone,” say the actors involved in the new employers’ association with whom Europa Press has spoken, who point out that, from now on, the new organization will work “hand in hand” with the Business Association for the Development and Promotion of Electric Mobility (Aedive), which, today, continues to be the main interlocutor with the Spanish administrations in everything related to electric vehicles and their infrastructure.

The association will ask administrations for “transformative and facilitating measures” to improve regulation regarding sustainable mobility. The AORU will represent the industry of ultra-fast charging point operators, that is, those with a potential equal to or greater than 150 kilowatts.

The group says they want to “move steadily” to ensure that, in 2030, Spain has a charging infrastructure that is “robust and appropriate to the needs” of users, facilitating the adoption of a more sustainable form of mobility.

Under a public-private collaboration model, the AORU will promote opening towards a market model that prioritizes competitiveness and consumer choice to offer more accessible, efficient and comfortable electric mobility.

CHARGING POINTS INCREASE

In the third quarter of the year, Spain exceeded 37,000 operational public charging points, 35.4% more than the same period last year, with an average installation of more than a thousand locations per month.

In one year, a total of 9,716 charging points have been activated – and 3,031 between July and September alone – which is the highest year-on-year figure in the entire historical series, according to Aedive data.

Of this amount, 69% of the points are equal to or greater than 22 kW, while high-power chargers (more than 22 kW) already account for 35% of the total. Likewise, those that have experienced the greatest growth in the quarter are those with 50 kilowatts (kW) to 250 kW of power – those that reduce user anxiety due to reduced charging time – with an increase of 126%.

However, the points installed, but not operational, increased to 10,333, being one in every five charging points with public access in Spain, as warned by the National Association of Automobile and Truck Manufacturers (Anfac), which means that More than 21% of the installed infrastructure is not in operation.

With this, the network would rise to 48,209 points throughout the national territory, below the objective for 2024 of reaching 63,500 points.

According to the Anfac Electromobility Barometer, the penetration of electrified vehicles and the installation of infrastructure reached 15.3 points out of 100, a slight increase compared to the second quarter of the year.

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