Volkswagen, BP CEOs weigh expanding e-car charging alliance to other regions
2022.04.28 16:52
2/2
FILE PHOTO: A man charges an electric ID. 3 car during a media event at German carmaker Volkswagen’s so-called glass manufactory in Dresden, Germany, June 8, 2021. REUTERS/Matthias Rietschel/File Photo
2/2
DUESSELDORF (Reuters) – Europe’s top carmaker Volkswagen (ETR:VOWG_p) and oil major BP (NYSE:BP) are planning to deepen their electric charging partnership and could expand it to other regions and technologies, the CEOs of both companies said on Thursday.
The comments reflect increasing efforts by carmakers and energy companies, including utilities and oil firms, to expand charging infrastructure for electric vehicles and tackle the issue of range anxiety that’s still weighing on demand.
To tackle the problem, both groups plan to jointly install 8,000 fast-charging spots across Europe by 2024 for battery-powered vehicles in a deal that will see BP putting up mobile chargers produced by VW at its network of petrol stations.
“There are so many more areas where we are complementary,” Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Duesseldorf, unveiling the first electric vehicle charging stations of a European co-operation.
“BP has a very strong network in many places of the world. So it means what we do here we can do in other places as well,” Diess said, adding BP could also be a strong partner in the area of electric truck charging.
“The thing that I love about partnerships: we can do coolants together, we can do energy together, electrification, hydrogen … all these things,” BP CEO Bernard Looney said.
“We will do things in 3-4 years together that we didn’t even imagine existed today.”
Volkswagen also has European charging cooperations with Italy’s Enel (BIT:ENEI) and Spain’s Iberdrola (OTC:IBDRY), with Diess saying there would soon be an update on the latter alliance.
