Volkswagen Group and Enel X Way energy company based in Rome have teamed up to form a joint venture that will build a high-power charging (HPC) network throughout Italy. Their JV has been named Ewiva, and each company owns an equal share in it.
Volkswagen and Enel X Way’s Ewiva joint venture has a target of setting up 3,000 HPCs in strategic charging points in the said country. When completed, the charging network that they will build is expected to become the largest one in Italy.
The stations will have charging points of up to 350 kilowatts, and these will be totally powered by renewable energies, such as the solar roof made with PV panels that were made at Enel’s gigafactory in Sicily. As per Smart Energy International, the plans for this JV first emerged when Volkswagen announced its “New Auto” strategy last year when it was still under the leadership of Herbert Diess.
The German automobile manufacturer and Enel’s energy unit said that they actually have the widest ultra-fast charging network in the country already. They have built 750 charging points in a total of 233 locations, and this new deal is actually for expansion as they are aiming to add around 17,000 points under their Ewiva joint venture.
Volkswagen and Enel X Way has chosen the sites to put up the charging stations, and these will include suburban areas, main roads that are mostly used by tourists and commuters, and city centers. The Ewiva HPC network will be available to all drivers of any electric vehicle.
“The expansion of the charging infrastructure plays a key role in the success of e-cars,” Volkswagen group board member for technology and chief executive officer of VW’s group components, Thomas Schmall, said in a press release. “Enel and Volkswagen, two strong partners from different industries, have now joined forces to tackle this task in a targeted manner, thus advancing e-mobility in Italy.”
Head of Enel X Way, Elisabetta Ripa, also said, “This joint venture represents a new milestone in Enel X Way and Enel Group’s ongoing push to spread electric mobility throughout Italy by accelerating the development of a state-of-the-art high-power charging network, which will help making electric vehicles the first choice for drivers.”
