In early October 2023, DATS 24 installed its 1,000th charging point, and aims to reach 10,000 charging points in the coming years. The charging station in the parking lot of the Colruyt Lowest Prices store at Liersesteenweg 351 in Mechelen, which opens on December 7, is the first realization in a series where standard charging stations are combined with fast-charging stations.
On the parking lot of Colruyt Mechelen, there are 3 fast-charging stations (6 charging points) with a capacity of 150 kW and 2 standard charging stations (4 charging points) with a capacity of 22 kW. The following charging stations will have a similar configuration with 10 charging points each.
This charging station in Mechelen alleviates charging stress, as it is open 24/7, even outside the store's opening hours. This applies to all future charging stations as well. DATS 24 is taking on its societal role to make electric charging easily accessible and promote emission-free mobility.
Raf Flebus, CEO of DATS 24, states, "By 2024, 50 new similar charging stations are planned. These will be installed in the parking lots of Colruyt Lowest Prices stores in Flanders, Brussels, and Wallonia in collaboration with our partner Pluginvest. After Mechelen, Ninove, Boom, Ukkel, and Halle will follow. The first charging station on Walloon territory will be in Gembloux. With the rollout of these charging stations, DATS 24 is following the geographical distribution of electric vehicle sales. At the same time, we are also increasing charging infrastructure in Wallonia, where the supply is currently limited."
Jo Willemyns, CEO of Colruyt Lowest Prices, comments, "We see that more and more customers are driving electric vehicles, and we support them in this transition by ensuring they can charge their cars while shopping. During an average shopping duration of 30 minutes, customers can charge up to an additional 300 kilometres* at our fast-charging stations."
Alexander Vandersmissen, Mobility Alderman of the city of Mechelen, adds, "In Mechelen, too, we clearly see an increasing demand for charging points. Additionally, the Flemish government recently raised its ambition within the Local Energy and Climate Pact 2.0 (LEKP 2.0) to increase the requirements from 1 to 1.5 charging points per 100 inhabitants. Mechelen has committed to this, along with 225 other municipalities. At present, Mechelen has 616 charging points available, bringing us close to half of our LEKP 2.0 target by 2030. Within the renewed Flemish concession, we have installed 33 charging stations in the past year following the strategy of 'pole follows car' and 'pole follows pole.' We are pleased to welcome new initiatives like this. It's no coincidence that Colruyt Group and DATS 24 chose Mechelen as the first location for their charging station."
The most cost-effective way to charge at DATS 24 charging stations is with a DATS 24 charging card or the DATS 24 app, reserved for business customers. The price at standard charging stations (up to 22 kW) is €0.45 per kWh, and at fast-charging stations (over 22 kW), it is €0.65 per kWh. Jonas Cautaerts, EV Charging Manager at DATS 24, mentions, "Until the end of this year, there is also a discount of 5 euro-cents on the kWh price. During this period, you will pay €0.40 per kWh at a standard charging station and €0.60 per kWh at a fast-charging station, provided you charge with a DATS 24 charging card."
A common complaint is that electric vehicle drivers often do not know the cost of their charging session in advance. DATS 24 already follows the AFIR regulations, ensuring customers know the cost per kWh before starting their charging session. The QR code on each DATS 24 charging station takes customers directly to a webpage displaying the prices.
DATS 24 charging stations are also accessible to users of charging cards from other operators, including Allego, Blue Corner, EDI, E-Flux, EV Box, Fastned, IONITY, Mobility+, New Motion, Plugsurfing, Smappee, and Totalenergies. Conversely, DATS 24 charging cardholders can also use the charging stations of all these operators. From the spring of 2024, customers will also be able to charge their car at DATS 24 charging stations with the Xtra app from Colruyt Group.
* Depending on the type of battery in the car and the customer's driving behavior
For more information:
Jean-Christophe Dupas, PR and Press DATS 24 / Virya Energy
+32 (0) 0473 19 85 59 – jean-christophe.dupas@virya-energy.com
