Stellantis and TheF Charging are expanding their public charging network, via an agreement with the FS Italiane Group through Metropark, the subsidiary that manages the parking lots at the main Italian railway stations. The agreement is aimed at encouraging the spread of a more sustainable mobility, which is also benefiting from intermodality between rail and road.
The accord provides for the installation of 600 electric vehicle charging points in 50 Metropark parking lots at railway stations across Italy. The charging network will be open to all electric vehicles, with exclusive benefits for owners of Stellantis automobiles. It will be powered by 100% renewable energy.
This agreement adds a new strategic piece to the partnership signed between Stellantis and TheF Charging, aimed at establishing a European public charging network, as announced in October 2021. The two companies have identified more than 1,000 owners or operators of locations that can offer public charging solutions for electric vehicle owners. The charging stations are predominantly located in city centers, at public sector facilities (hospitals and schools), transport hubs (airports, railway stations, ports), leisure facilities (shopping malls, sports centers, hotels, restaurants), and major retail outlets: a potential total of over 15,000 sites in Europe with 2 million parking spaces.
The new agreement – also covering Metropark – was made with the aim of facilitating and improving the charging experience for owners of electric cars, by means of the capillary network of railway stations across Italy. The added value for customers lies in the certainty of finding a charging point at the train station in the city center where they are.
As such, customers will acknowledge railway stations as the nerve center of the smart cities of the future, where stations will play more and more of a role as intermodal hubs and as centers of integration between people, means of transport, and services. The sharing and analysis of data relating to customers’ charging habits and movements will also enable the creation of an ecosystem of innovative, customized services based on those customers’ needs.
For Anne-Lise Richard, Global Head of the Stellantis e-Mobility Business Unit: “This agreement supports the decarbonization strategy we announced as part of the Dare Forward 2030 long-term strategic plan. That way, the option of offering public charging solutions and intermodal road/rail transport to our customers will facilitate the dissemination of the Stellantis range of electric vehicles. It will also have a positive impact on the reduction of pollutant emissions, to protect the environment.”
“We’re very proud to welcome Metropark and the FS Group into the charging network and the ecosystem we are developing. We have confidence that railway stations will play a key role in encouraging this country’s transition to an increasingly sustainable mobility. Together with Stellantis and FS Group, we have therefore decided to establish this partnership, taking as a starting point the electrification of Metropark parking lots at railway stations across Italy. In parallel, we will be exploring further areas for collaboration, whether geographically or in terms of services, aimed at accelerating this country’s energy transition by focusing on the customer experience,” concluded Federico Fea, CEO of TheF Charging.
“The initiative strengthens Metropark’s commitment to sustainability and respect for the environment,” stated Filippo Nogarin, CEO of Metropark. “The contribution made by society as a whole and by the FS Group is focused on achieving a new sustainable paradigm in urban mobility, where railway stations will play a key role, serving citizens, commuters and tourists.”
SOURCE: Stellantis
