The French energy company Engie has just won a call for tenders in Belgium. It concerns the installation and operation of 2,800 new charging stations, ie 5,600 charging points, in the Flemish provinces of Antwerp, Limburg and East Flanders. If the installation will begin this month, the commissioning of the network will not take place for two years.
The Belgian electric car market is expected to reach 1.4 million vehicles by 2030 and will require a network of 125,000 charging points. It is the Flanders region which is the most determined on the question of electrification since it is aiming for one million electric vehicles and 100,000 charging points by 2030.
Belgians less inclined to acquire an electric vehicle
This call for tenders seems to be timely and should reassure Belgian drivers, who are less willing today to buy an electric car than in 2021.
Thus, our Belgian colleagues from the LeMoniteurAutomobile site revealed that a recent study commissioned by Mobia, an organization that oversees the mobility federations Febiac, Renta and Traxio, showed that “the number of positive purchase intentions fell from 51% to 40%“and that at the same time”the number of people not considering buying an electric car rose from 49% to 60% in one year“.
In detail, if the inhabitants of Brussels are rather favorable (61%) to the purchase within two years of an electric car, this is less the case outside the capital with the Walloons (36% positive intentions) and also the Flemings (42%).
The reasons for this disaffection are the purchase price, a lack of charging infrastructure accessible to the public, limited autonomy and the high cost of electricity. On this subject, the Belgian Tesla superchargers – as well as the Danes – have become the most expensive in Europe with a recharge billed at €0.89/kWh for people who are not subscribed or do not have a Tesla (€0.74/kWh with the monthly subscription at €12.99). (source LeMoniteurAutomobile.be)
Ultra-fast terminals in basements and Esso service stations for France
In addition to this success in Belgium, Engie does not forget France, with in particular the recent call for tenders won in Strasbourg. This will involve setting up 250 terminals (500 charging points) by the end of 2025.
Following a framework agreement with the Aix-Marseille-Provence metropolis, Engie will install 260 charging points by 2024.
Motorways are not to be outdone thanks to the signing of contracts with APRR and SANEF concessionaires. The first involves equipping (financing, design, construction and operation) 16 motorway service areas between Paris and Lyon with ultra-fast terminals. Concerning the second, the mission is identical but covers 18 motorway rest areas located in the east and north of France as well as in Normandy. Finally, 15 service stations under the Esso brand should be equipped with superchargers.
Finally, the last big project on behalf of Indigo, the deployment of the first ultra-fast charging stations in underground car parks. In total, 280 superchargers will be placed on 35 sites, spread over 20 French cities.