Fastned & REWE Pilot DC Fast Charging At Supermarkets In Frankfurt

Fastned is partnering with a supermarket chain to install and operate fast chargers at their supermarkets, starting with a pilot at four of their REWE Region Mitte supermarkets sprinkled around the Frankfurt area.

The companies will use the pilot locations to gauge the interest of shoppers in charging at supermarket locations. On paper, dropping the EV off at a charging station while shopping for 30-45 minutes makes loads of sense, but the real test is with real people out in the field. For REWE, it is hoping that the new Fastned DC fast charging stations will prove to be a differentiator that will pull in customers to its locations and to stay for just a bit longer.

“We are excited by this partnership with REWE because they have an extensive network of suitable locations and sustainability is part of their mission,” Michiel Langezaal, CEO of Fastned said. “We are confident that we can provide a valuable service to customers of REWE and grow the number of fast charging stations in the future.”

If successful, supermarket charging could be a lucrative new market for Fastned as it continues to build out its fast charging network across Europe. More broadly, the installation of a vehicle fueling solution in the parking lot of a supermarket highlights just how flexible EV charging really is. It is truly a paradigm shift compared to petrol stations, which require significant infrastructure, planning, and investment. On the other hand, EV charging simply requires a connection to the electrical grid, which is already in place in much of the world.