Paris, 14 September 2022 – Atlante, the company of NHOA Group (NHOA.PA, formerly Engie EPS) dedicated to fast and ultra-fast charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, has been selected for a €22.7 million grant support by the European Union under CEF Transport, the funding programme supporting European transport infrastructure.
Under the second cut-off date of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (AFIF) call for proposals, which closed on 7 June 2022, n.24 projects were selected. The selection has been approved by the EU Member States on 12 September 2022 and the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) has started the preparation of the grant agreements with the project beneficiaries, including Atlante.
With the current round of AFIF, the EU will provide a total financial support of €292.5 million to 24 different projects across Europe, from the installation of EV charging stations to the deployment of hydrogen refueling stations and the electrification of ground handling services in airports. Atlante had submitted and has been awarded with two projects for the overall installation of 215 EV fastcharging stations, of which 70 located in Italy, 55 in France, 55 in Spain and 35 in Portugal, thus covering all four countries of Atlante’s geographical perimeter.
Atlante strongly believes that in a context in which road transportation contributes to 70% of EU emissions and EU itself aims at reducing them by 90% by 2050, it is urgent to foster the transition to alternative, lower-carbon fuels. In particular, the creation of a widespread fast and ultra-fast charging network is essential to allow EV drivers to charge their electric vehicles in a matter of minutes and not hours, taking charging anxiety to zero and allowing electric vehicles to be as easily recharged as a gas stop for fossil fuels engines.
The EU funding will allow Atlante to accelerate its roll-out plans, providing concrete options to existing and would be EV drivers. The n.215 EV fastcharging stations included in the projects will include more than 700 fastchargers, corresponding to more than 1,400 parking slots electrified with fast and ultra-fast devices (points of charge).
The fastcharging stations will be situated along the trans-European transport road network (TEN-T), on safe and secure parkings and in urban nodes. All stations will be powered by 100% renewable energy and will be all modular and designed either with or ready for on-site battery storage, to manage peak charging hours, and on-site or off-site solar energy production. Once fully developed, all n.1,400 fast and ultra-fast points of charge will be fully integrated with National grids, creating one of the largest Virtual Power Plants globally. The underlying technology platform is being developed together with Free2move eSolutions, the joint venture between NHOA Group and Stellantis which is Atlante’s preferred technology provider.
All the Atlante EV fastcharging stations will be accessible to people with reduced mobility, open 24/7 to all electric vehicles and compatible with every charging standard and service provider for electric mobility.
“Atlante and the whole NHOA Group have been fostering and pushing the global transition towards clean energy and a more sustainable mobility since its very first days. The selection of both our projects by the EU is an important recognition of the fact that we are going in the good direction and that Europe and the whole world must move not only fast, but ultra-fast towards electric mobility! I am deeply honored for the recognition of the role that Atlante and the whole NHOA Group can play in this important battle and we are ready to take the challenge and leave the world to next generations better than how we found it, one fastcharger at a time. I take the opportunity to congratulate my team for the hard work and commitment and to thank all National Authorities which supported the projects proposal”, commented Stefano Terranova, Atlante CEO.
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