Fastned — EV Fast Charging Leadership (#CleanTechnica Exclusive)

Fastned is still the only EV charging network I know of that includes CHAdeMO, CCS, and Tesla (via adapter) charging options at all of its stations. This may seem unimportant, since Tesla has its own Supercharger network, but as Fastned co-founder Bart Lubbers pointed out in a recent interview with me, approximately half of the electric cars in the Netherlands are Teslas. As such, even with other options, many of Fastned’s customers are Tesla drivers.

Of course, for non-Tesla drivers, having a widespread, convenient, easy-to-find, reliable fast-charging network is a big boon. Whether driving a Nissan LEAF, BMW i3, Renault Zoe, or Hyundai Ioniq, Fastned offers one of the best fast-charging experiences in the world.

Furthermore, Fastned’s charging stations are all solar powered. What more can you ask for?

In interviews I conducted at Fastned’s headquarters in the Netherlands last March, I learned more about Fastned’s growth plans, its market hopes, coming 150 kW charging stations, and Fastned’s eager tracking of the electric car market. I’ll follow up soon to see how the figures have changed in one year, but for the time being, you can get a glimpse of the Dutch company’s leadership, hopes, and dreams in the video below (or on YouTube if you prefer to avoid Facebook). You can also check out some key points below the embedded video.

◊ At the time of the interviews, Fastned had 57 stations in operation — 55 highway stations and 2 city stations.

◊ There were approximately 15,000 fully electric cars in the Netherlands a year ago. Bart Lubbers noted that the company thinks it needs 50,000–100,000 electric cars on the road for Fastned to become profitable. If you expect a doubling every year, that would mean Fastned could reach that important crossover point in 2019.

◊ With a new generation of long-range, semi-affordable electric cars coming to market — the Tesla Model 3, new Nissan LEAF, new-ish Renault Zoe, and Opel Ampera-E — reaching 50,000 in 2019 seems quite likely. In fact, Bart mentioned at the time that they had heard there were approximately 20,000 Model 3 reservations in the Netherlands.

◊ Fastned, like GreenWay, is now starting to install superfast/high-power charging stations (150 kW). That, as you may have noticed, is before any electric cars can charge so fast. The stations are being provided by ABB.

You can see in the video how extensively Fastned had built fast charging stations around the Netherlands at the time of the video, but you can also check that as time goes by on the Fastned website or app. However, what you also see on the map in the video is where Fastned plans to open charging stations across the country. Needless to say, if you live in the Netherlands, a Fastned membership seems mandatory and you should really be driving electric now (unless you’re biking or riding trains and trams).

Check out more on one of our favorite e-mobility companies via our Fastned archives.