First of 1.200 Electra fast-chargers at Delhaize plugged in

In Kasterlee, Delhaize and French fast-charging provider Electra have plugged in the first six of 1 200 fast charging points to be installed at the group’s supermarkets throughout Belgium. The chargers are open to Delhaize clients during shopping hours but also 24/7 to the general EV driver at €0,65 per kWh. That’s 20% lower than the market average, both parties claim.

The 150 kW Electra chargers can charge two EVs at 75 kW simultaneously, enabling, according to Delhaize, to recharge on average in 25 to 30 minutes while shopping the car’s battery completely. EV clients can reserve a charger in advance to ensure availability while shopping. Delhaize clients will be able to earn shopping credits for every kWh charged.

Investing €100 million

Electra is investing €100 million in this project, aiming to complete the installation of the 1 200 Delhaize chargers by the end of 2025. According to Louis-Charles Mosseray, General Manager of Electra, there are currently around 200 000 electric cars driving around in Belgium. By 2030, this is estimated to be two million.

Electra says to be pleased to install at Delhaize supermarkets as they are generally very well located, have a lot of passage and available parking space with often ready-to-use high voltage connections. The independent franchise takers of the Delhaize shops will get on top of the rent for the parking space, a percentage of the electricity price clients pay.

Lengthy social conflict

Delhaize, part of Dutch-Belgian multinational retailer Ahold Delhaize Group, runs 826 shops in Belgium and Luxembourg merely through franchising. Each week, they service around five million clients.

But the process of selling off the last 128 supermarkets it controlled itself to independent franchise takers didn’t go without a hitch, with a massive strike that lasted for months and a social conflict that still stands today.

First station in Maasmechelen

The French charging infrastructure specialist Electra opened its first fast-charging station in Belgium at the shopping site of Maasmechelen Village (Limburg province) in June of this year.

There, it is teaming up with LSGI Group, one of the largest developers and operators of large shopping malls. The station in Maasmechelen counts four charging columns of 300 kW max with eight charging points in total. Just last week, Electra announced it had concluded a contract with services company Spie to install fast chargers at 21 locations across Belgium

Electra is owned by the French holding Eurazeo but also counts the French railway company SNCF and the public transport company RATP among its shareholders. It raised over € 400 million last year to build a new fast-charging network as soon as possible.