Volkswagen and BP will introduce up to 8,000 EV charge points across Germany, the UK, and Europe by the end of 2024.

The new chargers developed by VW are dubbed ‘Flexpole’ and are 150 kW units, each of which features two charge points and has an integrated battery storage system. A Flexpole charger can be directly connected to a low voltage grid, removing the requirement for a dedicated substation and costly construction work and reducing the installation times.

The first phase of the roll-out will see up to 4,000 additional charge points established at BP’s Aral retail sites across Germany and BP retail sites in the UK over the coming 24 months. The first of these new chargers was unveiled by VW chief executive Herbert Diess and BP chief executive Bernard Looney in Dusseldorf, Germany.

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“Volkswagen has been pioneering the transformation to e-mobility across Europe,” Diess said in a statement. “Today we have the broadest offer of electric cars in the market and sold more EVs in the region than any other carmaker last year. Investing in everything from software, to batteries and charging is part of our strategy to make individual mobility safer, more convenient and fully climate-neutral. The decarbonization of Europe’s economy requires close collaboration across borders and sectors. We’re pleased to team up with bp to accelerate the rollout of the fast-charging network across Europe.”

Locations for these new chargers will be integrated into the navigation and other in-car apps of various Volkswagen, Seat and Skoda models. They will also be incorporated into the automaker’s charging application, Elli, ensuring that drivers never have an issue finding a charger.

“EV charging is one of the key engines driving bp’s transformation to an integrated energy company,” added Looney. “That’s why we’re so excited by our partnership with Volkswagen. When you bring together one of the world’s leading carmakers and one of the world’s leading energy companies – the opportunity is huge. This is a significant step-forward on our journey to accelerate the electrification of transport in Europe.”