Rome, Nov. 8, 2023 – With the completion of the installation of four 200kW charging points in the Bevano Est service area on the A14 Bologna-Taranto highway, the project to install 100 high-power charging stations for electric vehicles, which Autostrade per l’Italia has been pursuing along its network under management through Free To X, a Group company dedicated to the development of advanced mobility services, has come to an end.
The plan was launched in May 2021, thanks to a self-financing investment of 70 million euros, with the inauguration of the Secchia Ovest charging station. As of today, 82 stations have been activated, allowing owners of zero-emission vehicles to travel on highways with the confidence of finding a charging station within a distance of 50 km, in line with European standards and the approved European regulation (Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation – AFIR). The stations are evenly distributed across the country, with 47 service areas in the Central-South and 53 in the Central-North, totaling 582 charging points. Among these, 398 are high-power, and 184 are equipped with 64kW Type2 power for AC charging up to 22kW and CHAdeMO for DC charging. Campania, Lazio, Emilia-Romagna, and Lombardia are the regions with the highest number of charging stations, totaling 59.
Moreover, the commitment of these years has enabled Free To X to bring the plan out of ASPI’s highway infrastructure and, thanks to the synergy with the company SEA, which manages the airports of Milano Linate and Malpensa, to bring the electrification project for sustainable mobility to the two airports with 27 charging points that are operational 24 hours a day powered by 100% renewable energy.
Established in 2021, Free To X is an ASPI Group company dedicated to the development of advanced mobility services, offering solutions to improve the all-around travel experience, focusing on innovation, technology and sustainability. Free To X builds and manages as Charging Point Operator (CPO), the largest network of HPC stations for electric vehicles in Italy, in the highways, with charging points capable of delivering up to 300kW of power with average charging times of 15 to 20 minutes. Free To X enables neutrality of technological standards, recharging the different types of vehicles that will travel on the highway with 100% green energy; geographic neutrality, covering the entire highway network of Autostrade per l’Italia; and commercial neutrality, guaranteeing access, on equal terms, to all the main operators of electric mobility (Mobility Service Provider – MSP) who directly relate with end users, including through the main e-roaming platforms.
The Free To X infrastructure is available on the Hubject and Gireve e-roaming platforms, and to date more than 80 MSPs, of 15 different nationalities, have joined the interoperability offer. Drivers of electric cars, through Mobility Service Providers’ apps or cards, can thus take advantage of charging services in total autonomy, h24 and 7 days a week, using the charging points for the time needed to recharge their vehicle’s batteries. Thanks in part to these facilities, vacationing by electric car in our country is simple and sustainable.
