TotalEnergies receives permit for charging stations in Zeeland and South Holland
43 municipalities in the Dutch provinces of South Holland and Zeeland have issued new regional concessions for public charging infrastructure. TotalEnergies Public Charging and Velian have been awarded the contracts, covering thousands of charging points.
Image: Velian
Both charging providers will take over existing charging stations as well as build new ones in the respective municipalities. It is important to note, however, that the two major cities of The Hague and Rotterdam, both located in South Holland, are not part of this concession. There, the allocation of charging infrastructure is handled separately.
Now, turning to the 43 municipalities in South Holland and Zeeland: TotalEnergies states that the concession includes the acquisition and modernization of around 1,860 existing charging stations, as well as the installation of thousands of new ones in the coming years to meet the growing demand for electric mobility.
TotalEnergies also says it has won bids for 60 percent of the charging infrastructure up for auction. Consequently, Velian must have won 40 percent of the bids, though it does not provide specific figures. Velian is the successor to Equans Infra & Mobility, a charging provider that originated from the French Engie group. Since May, Velian has been owned by Aberdeen Investments and DigitalBridge.
TotalEnergies and Velian will display charging prices directly on the screen
The two provinces promise lower charging prices for electric vehicle drivers by providing charging infrastructure. All new charging stations are to be equipped with a digital display that allows users to view the charging costs. This makes it easier to determine the price of a charging session in advance. The costs are also displayed transparently during and after the charging process.
At the same time, users should be able to pay without a charging card as well, via ad-hoc payment – and at least TotalEnergies states that this works directly contactless with a card or smartphone, not through a QR code as an intermediary. According to Zeeland province, customers receive on the screen information about direct payment without a charging card as well as details on the plans offered by common charging cards. This is intended to make public charging not only cheaper but also more transparent and simpler.
"In Zeeland, we often travel long distances. People need to be able to trust that charging is simple and affordable. With this discount, we are taking an important step in that direction. We are making electric driving more attractive for Zeeland’s residents, businesses, and visitors," says Harry van der Maas, a member of the provincial council.
Under the concession, TotalEnergies and Velian will also implement smart charging and dynamic pricing, according to Zeeland province. This means that when the grid is heavily loaded, the charging capacity will be temporarily reduced. Conversely, charging can be accelerated when there is sufficient capacity in the grid. Lower prices are intended to make charging more attractive during times when enough electricity is available.