Fastned opens 37th station in Belgium and first one in Italy

Dutch fast-charging provider Fastned has opened its 37th station in Belgium in Hoeselt, midway between Hasselt and Liège along the E313 highway. It has two chargers, suitable for four charging bays, each with a maximum capacity of 400 kW. Fastned says electric drivers can charge their cars here with green electricity from the sun and wind.

Meanwhile, the Dutch company is forcing its entry into the substantial Italian market with a first charging plaza at the Truck Park Brescia Est rest area along the busy A4 highway, between Brescia and Padova. This is a vital traffic artery in the north of the country.

BENEFIC project

The new Belgian station is part of the BENEFIC project of the Flemish, Brussels, and Dutch governments. BENEFIC is a cross-border project with EU support for developing charging and refueling infrastructure for alternative fuels for transport.

It includes charging infrastructure for electric cars, taxis, and buses, CNG and LNG infrastructure, hydrogen refueling infrastructure, and shore-side electricity for inland navigation.

“In two years, the number of electric cars in Belgium has tripled to more than 250,000 cars. Thanks to the good cooperation with the Flemish Agency for Roads and Traffic (AWV), we can meet this rapidly growing demand for charging infrastructure,” says Katrien Vandenhecke, Senior Program Manager at Fastned.

Fastned opened its first station in Belgium in 2020 at the Ostend Airport. It has 37 stations operational in Belgium (mainly in Flanders), seven of which are in the province of Limburg.

Four are along the E313 in Hoeselt and Diepenbeek, and three are near the E314 in Maasmechelen and Halen. In the autumn, Fastned will open another fast charging station with eight charging stations at the new carpool parking Genk-Oost, along the E314.

First in Italy

In Italy, Fastned is starting from scratch, its eighth country in Europe, it’s tackling, with the plaza at the busy Brescia Est truck stop on the A4 highway. Eight 400 kW chargers will initially be available to EV drivers, possibly expanding the station with more chargers later.

Italy is not precisely a forerunner in Europe in terms of electric driving. However, the European Alternative Fuels Observatory claims that more than 50% of the EVs in Italy are driven in the northeast and northwest of the country. In January 2025, EV sales increased by 132% year-on-year, with more than 300,000 all-electric vehicles registered in Italy.

“I am proud that we are now opening our first station in Italy – a country with an unrivaled automotive history and huge potential to accelerate the transition to electric mobility,” says Michiel Langezaal, Fastned’s CEO.

“This large and highly visible station at Truck Park Brescia Est makes it easier for drivers to charge in Italy’s most EV-intensive region. It shows what is possible when ambitious partners come together in long-term agreements, such as with A4 Holding.

Michiel Langezaal, co-founder and CEO of Fastned, was elected on February 25th in Brussels as the new president of ChargeUp Europe, the European trade association for charging electric vehicles. He takes over the organization in a challenging era.

He believes the EV industry is at a crucial stage, with some automakers trying to tone down their ambitions, jeopardizing the long–term competitiveness of the European automotive industry and building a thriving charging sector.

EVs will be cheaper than ICE

“Looking to the future, it is clear that batteries are getting cheaper, and by 2030, EVs will be cheaper than fossil fuel cars. It is the roadmap to this that is crucial for the sector to continue to invest and achieve economies of scale,” he said.

“Only a stable and progressive policy will enable both car manufacturers and the charging industry to plan and create a healthy business and deliver on climate ambitions, as well as green jobs for the future and green growth.”