https://www.smart-energy.com/industry-sectors/electric-vehicles/competitors-team-up-make-e-mobility-history/
[It's expensive infrastructure to build and maintain - some fraction of
a gas station - but also has implications for the electrical utilities.
Whether the impact on the utility is negative or positive will depend on
how well the implementation is thought through. But, good to see some
maturity in developing a 'co-opetition' model.]
Competitors team up to make e-mobility history
January 9, 2019
Danish e-mobility service provider Clever and German's E.ON have formed
a joint venture for building and operating ultra-fast chargers along the
freeways throughout Scandinavia.
“Ultra-Fast Charging Venture Scandinavia” will aim to connect cities in
Denmark, Norway and Sweden with a total of 48 ultra-fast charging sites.
The joint venture is fulfilling a promise to the European Commission’s
Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme to build 28 co-financed sites
in Denmark and Sweden.
In addition, the joint venture will deploy 20 sites in Norway outside of
the funding scope.
The joint venture will be a charge point operator, where the partners
share the vision to provide more ultra-fast charging stations and better
customer experience for drivers of electrical vehicles across borders.
In 2020 all 48 sites are planned to be operational.
E-mobility customers of Clever, E.ON and third party operators will get
access to the charging stations.
“This joint venture is proof point of the e-mobility ecosystem at work,
where governments, competitors and industries work together to achieve a
greater goal – accelerating electric mobility. We share a long-term
investment and vision with Clever. Jointly we will move ahead and deploy
our ultra-fast charging network in Scandinavia”, says Frank Meyer,
senior vice president Innovation & Customer Solutions at E.ON.
“This is a major leap forward for Scandinavian and European EV drivers
alike. With this new joint venture, we’re journeying into the new era of
borderless sustainable e-mobility. Only two years ago, this was a vivid
dream on Danish soil of connecting people by frictionless, limitless,
rewarding EV experience, and now we’ve been granted the green light from
the European Commission, with several ultra-fast charging sites
sprouting throughout Denmark, Sweden and Norway”, says Casper
Kirketerp-Møller, CEO of Clever.
The joint venture just opened their first ultra-fast chargers in
Halsskov, Denmark. Halsskov will be followed by several new sites in
both Denmark, Sweden and Norway in 2019. The first large flagship site
will be close to Fredericia opening in Q1 2019.
The two operators – Clever and E.ON Drive – will remain competitors in
other service categories. E.ON Drive Infrastructure will furthermore
deploy ultra-fast charging sites in Germany, UK, France, Italy as part
of the EU CEF program.
