Kempower will provide Mobilize, Renault Group’s new mobility brand, with DC fast charging technology
16 ultrafast EV charging stations have already opened across France, and around 40 are currently under construction or awaiting connection to the grid.
The project comes as national policy looks to ramp up fast charging along major French highways to facilitate long-distance EV travel
Paris – Leading DC charging manufacturer, Kempower, has partnered with Mobilize, Renault Group’s brand dedicated to new mobilities, to bring fast EV charging to locations across France.
Mobilize, founded to accelerate the transition towards more sustainable mobility, has joined forces with Finland-headquartered Kempower to roll out an EV ultrafast charging network called Mobilize Fast Charge, which has launched in France.
As part of the project, Kempower will supply its market-leading DC charging solutions to charging hubs predominantly based close to Renault dealerships and strategically located near major highways in order to service both local and international EV drivers traveling in France. The hubs will have a standard charging configuration with six Kempower Single Satellite chargers, capable of up to 320kW at maximum output.
France is already a world leader in EV charging infrastructure with around 130,000 charging stations across the country but has put in place an ambitious target to reach 400,000 public chargers by 2030. However, with range anxiety remaining a key concern for current and prospective EV owners, the French Government is increasingly turning its focus to fast charging points located along major highways in a bid to facilitate the many long-distance journeys travelled across the country.
Approximately 25% of public EV chargers in France are currently classified as fast-chargers (50kW or above), less than 10% of which class as ultra-fast (100kW or above). With Kempower’s ultra-fast charging technology and the Fast Charge network, Mobilize seeks to boost these figures and support the transition by making long EV journeys more practical, comfortable and convenient.
The project pilot launched in January 2024 in Bordeaux. A further 15 charging hubs have since opened and around 40 stations are currently under construction or awaiting connection to the grid across France as the project looks to ramp up. The stations are accessible to all EV drivers, 24/7.
“We are exceptionally proud to be partnering with Mobilize and the Renault Group for what we expect to be a significant and impactful project to boost highway charging infrastructure across Europe,” said Kempower’s CEO, Tomi Ristimäki.
He continued: “To see ambitious projects such as the Mobilize Fast Charge network being implemented is testament to the fact that the EV infrastructure rollout is firmly in the scaling stage – a fact which will be warmly welcomed by the wider EV industry.”
We’re delighted to be working with Renault, a French carmaker with a long history, which is now in a new phase. Renault has committed wholeheartedly to the EV transition, not only by producing industry-leading electric cars, but by supporting the development of the infrastructure necessary for the transition to be a widespread success,” said Pierre-Emmanuel Gau, Sales Director for South & West Europe
Mobilize chose Kempower as the fast charging supplier for the major project largely due to the robustness, performance and efficient design of the chargers.
As we’ve been identifying charging locations, it has been clear that compactness of the infrastructure is essential. With limited space but a requirement for plenty of fast charging capacity, Kempower’s solution stood out as having a strong size footprint to charging power ratio,” said Anne-Cécile Bonneville, Fast Charge Director for Mobilize
She continued: “As we strive towards the electrification of mobility, efficiency and reliability will be essential, as will the accessibility of charging for EV drivers. That’s why we have chosen high-quality, high-power chargers which work effectively for the charge sites and for the customers that use them. We’re optimistic that the Mobilize Fast Charge network will play an important role in helping EV drivers to take long journeys with confidence.”
