Vattenfall InCharge charging points can already be found in the parking lots of many Rewe supermarkets in Berlin. The Rewe Group partnership is now being further expanded. The Penny supermarket chain recently opened a store in Berlin’s Spandau district. Customers at the Fehrbelliner Straße location have been charging their electric cars in the parking lot since June 2020. By providing parking spaces for electric vehicles, Penny as part of the Rewe Group is setting a clear signal for a sustainable future. Around one in eight public charging points (about 20,000 in total: figure from 2020) is installed at a parking space of retail stores according to the Association of German Retailers.

This is the first time cooperating with a Penny supermarket. The aim is to equip more stores with charging points in the future. Vattenfall InCharge has decided to sell the charging infrastructure as well as to offer charging facilities in public spaces. The “Location Partner” concept was developed for this purpose. The Vattenfall InCharge network is looking for partners who have parking spaces like supermarkets and would like to make these locations available for charging without needing to take care of the charging infrastructure themselves. As the operator, Vattenfall InCharge is also in charge of planning and constructing the charging points, like with Penny.

The charging stations can also be used by all Vattenfall InCharge customers. Photo: Vattenfall InCharge/Penny

It took only about two months from the initial contact with Penny to the implementation of the charging infrastructure at the supermarket. Penny provided the parking spaces for this. Vattenfall InCharge installed the charging points, connected them to its own network, ensured smooth operations, and took over all services such as maintenance and billing. The electricity from the charging points is certified 100-percent green power, which is obtained directly from Vattenfall. Although Penny initially pays the grid fee for the supplied electricity, it is reimbursed monthly. Users of the service pay for the charging itself. In turn, Vattenfall InCharge uses the proceeds from the charging processes to refinance its investment for further partnerships.

Besides Penny customers, all Vattenfall InCharge customers and customers with a charging card from one of the many Vattenfall InCharge roaming partners can recharge their vehicles. Naturally, these supermarket parking spaces do not feature 24/7 accessibility. Vattenfall InCharge customers are made aware of this restriction in the free Vattenfall InCharge app.

Existing partnerships with the Bilderberg hotel chain and McDonald’s, for example, demonstrate the fact that the “Location Partner” concept is also a worthwhile venture for other businesses in the hospitality and catering industry.