Repsol has opened the Iberian Peninsula's first ultra-fast charging point for electric vehicles, which is also one of the first in southern Europe. The facility, located on the N-I highway in Lopidana (Álava), can recharge the battery of any vehicle that is compatible with its maximum power output in five to ten minutes, similar to the amount of time required for a conventional refueling.

The new ultra-fast charging system represents a major breakthrough for the use of electric vehicles as a means of intercity transportation. Located at a Repsol service station, the charging point has a maximum power output of 700 kilowatts (kW), which can be distributed among its four supply posts according to the capacity of each vehicle's battery. It can therefore be configured to deliver 350 kW to two vehicles simultaneously, or 175 kW to four vehicles at once.

The facility's opening ceremony was attended by a number of leading authorities, including Repsol CEO Josu Jon Imaz; IBIL Chairman Emiliano López Atxurra; the Basque Government's Minister of Economic Development and Infrastructure, Arantxa Tapia; the President of the Provincial Council of Álava, Ramiro González; and the Mayor of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Gorka Urtaran, among other authorities.

According to Josu Jon Imaz, 'having this charging point allows Repsol to remain a leader in mobility in Spain, where it is already part of the country's largest public electric charging network.'

The Basque Government's Minister of Economic Development and Infrastructure, Arantxa Tapia, said that 'this is an important step in the process of decarbonization and the push for electric mobility being promoted by the Basque Government, which is aware of the need for a realistic and orderly transition.'

For his part, IBIL Chairman Emiliano López Atxurra emphasized that 'this is proof that we are truly practicing what we preach. Repsol and EVE made this promise when they created IBIL ten years ago, and they have fulfilled it through nationwide technological and industrial development.'

Repsol plans to offer this cutting-edge technology at four other service stations belonging to its network in 2019. In addition, the company currently has 31 fast charging points at its service stations. It also participates, through IBIL, in a network with more than 1,700 charging points, 200 of which are publicly accessible.

The ultra-fast charging point in Lopidana was installed by IBIL, a company backed by Repsol and the Basque Energy Board (EVE) with the aim of developing technology, services, and capabilities in the field of electric charging. The facility will also be operated and maintained by IBIL. In order to allow any existing electric vehicle on the market to use this infrastructure, the new charging points use Combo CCS (up to 350 kW) and CHAdeMO (up to 100 kW) standard charging cables.

The charging type varies according to the power of each supply point, which, together with the specifications of each vehicle, determines the battery's refueling speed. At an ultra-fast charging point with a power output between 175 kW and 350 kW, 80% of a 40-kWh battery can be recharged in about five to ten minutes, allowing for approximately 270 km( ) of travel. At a fast charging point with 50 kW of power output, this would take about 30 minutes, and at a semi-fast charging point with 22 kW, it would take 1.5 hours.

The facility in Lopidana is part of E-VIA FLEX-E, a European project that provides for the development of a pilot network of 14 similar facilities along transportation corridors in Spain, France, and Italy. The initiative seeks to share best practices for launching this kind of infrastructure, as well as the technical experience resulting from its installation, maintenance, and operation.

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Repsol SA published this content on 01 April 2019 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 01 April 2019 11:31:16 UTC