ROME – With the aim of making up for the lack of charging infrastructures and, above all, that of fast stations (out of the approximately 225,000 points in Europe, only 25,000 are high-power), Stellantis together with partners Nhoa and Free2Move eSolutions has launched the Atlas project. The initiative involves the creation of the largest fast charging network in Southern Europe, the first to be 100% integrated with the electricity grid, based on energy from renewable sources and supported by storage systems.
Atlante’s development strategy saw the inauguration of the first fast charging station in Piedmont last month, and the identification of the first 700 sites destined for the project, 10% of which (mainly in Italy) are already under construction. development and will be active within the next 6 months. According to what has been established, the power of the Atlante charging stations will vary from a minimum of 100 kW to a maximum of 175 kW, thus offering fast charging times to which are added the advantageous conditions for users of the Stellantis group. 5,000 fast charging points will be installed by 2025 in Italy, France, Spain and Portugal, mainly near the most important road junctions and in highly populated urban areas, while the target for 2030 is to reach over 35,000 points.
It should be noted that Atlante is a unique project of its kind, which combines fast and ultra-fast charging systems with Vehicle-Grid-Integrated technology and storage systems for electricity storage. The latter solution is technically more suitable for being connected to the generation of energy from renewable sources which can be stored for later use in the phases of increased energy demand. Furthermore, based on the location of the station and the type of recharging envisaged, the Atlante points will be equipped with shelters with integrated photovoltaic panels and storage systems with the use of “second-life” batteries.
“Fast charging installations in Southern Europe are a great opportunity for growth and development towards a new mobility that will allow us to build a better future for the next generations – explains Anne-Lise Richard, head of global e-Mobility Stellantis – The roll-out of public charging infrastructure is critical to helping customers choose to drive an electric vehicle. Like Stellantis, we aim to offer a charging experience that is as simple, intuitive, convenient and, above all, as quick as filling up with gas. The network that is taking shape thanks to the Atlante project will be an enabling factor to achieve this goal. The announcement of the start of the works therefore represents an important step forward in the execution of Stellantis’ 360 ° electrification strategy ”. (maurilio rigo)