More than 1,000 smart charging hubs in Flanders by 2030?

Flanders has the potential to realize 1,096 ‘smart charging hubs’ or ‘charging plazas’ by 2030–around 6,600 individual charging points. These central locations offer multiple charging stations via one grid connection.

This was evident from a study launched on Thursday by grid operator Fluvius, environmental organization Bond Beter Leefmilieu (BBL), and consultancy firm The New Drive.

Essential in the transition

Smart charging hubs can be essential in supporting electric driving, especially in urban and suburban areas, where there is often no room for a private charging station.

In addition, the charging hubs can become meeting places with additional facilities for residents. Shared cars can also be accommodated here. In this way, the charging hubs contribute to an intelligent change in how we will travel in the future.

The study also highlights that charging hubs could reduce the load on the electricity grid by grouping multiple charging points on one grid connection and focusing on smart charging, for example, to reduce the evening peak.

Several benefits

Smart charging hubs will help roll out public charging stations more efficiently, especially in urban and suburban areas. They will help accommodate the growth of electric cars and give local governments and grid operators the tools to adapt their infrastructure to the correct grid capacity.

Smart charging hubs offer several benefits. They offer citizens more charging security, which contributes to ease of use. Local authorities can better organize the spatial integration of charging infrastructure and thus create more support for it.

Sustainable mobility policy

Moreover, grid operators can roll out the charging infrastructure more efficiently: peak loads can be spread, which helps grid operators efficiently use the available grid capacity.

The Flemish government has also included smart charging hubs in the coalition agreement for 2024-2029. The study confirms the strategic value of smart charging hubs as part of future sustainable mobility policy.