Feb 21, 2025
E.ON, Eldrive, and ZSE have received €45 million in EU funding to enhance the electric vehicle charging network.
A consortium consisting of the Germany-based energy company E.ON, Bulgarian-controlled electric vehicle charging (EVC) station operator Eldrive Holding, and Slovak power distributor ZSE has obtained 45 million euros (approximately $47 million) in EU funding to enhance EVC infrastructure throughout Europe, as announced by the companies on Friday.
The DRIVE-E project aims to introduce 1,400 new public charging points by the end of 2027, including 430 points specifically for heavy commercial vehicles, each with a minimum capacity of 350 kW, according to a joint press release from the three companies.
The charging stations will be set up at more than 250 locations across 13 EU countries, such as Bulgaria and Romania, strategically located along key trans-European freight transport corridors. The project seeks to provide charging options for both passenger and commercial electric vehicles, including designated charging sites for trucks and multi-use hubs.
This initiative is one of 39 alternative fuel infrastructure projects recently chosen for EU funding under the second phase of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (AFIF), which was launched in February 2024 with a budget of 1 billion euros.
E.ON, through its subsidiary E.ON Drive Infrastructure, manages over 6,000 public charging points across 11 European nations.
Zapadoslovenska energetika (ZSE), part of the E.ON group, oversees a comprehensive network of alternating current, direct current, and ultra-fast charging stations.
Eldrive Holding, which is owned by the Bulgarian-founded Austria-based Renalfa Solarpro Group, operates over 2,000 charging points in Lithuania, Romania, and Bulgaria, focusing on fast and super-fast charging solutions. Earlier this week, the company launched its second EVC park in Lithuania and plans to open a third by June.
Last year, Eldrive secured 40 million euros in venture debt from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and received 15 million euros in equity financing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). By 2028, the company aims to install and manage 7,400 new EVC stations across Lithuania, Romania, and Bulgaria.
The DRIVE-E project aims to introduce 1,400 new public charging points by the end of 2027, including 430 points specifically for heavy commercial vehicles, each with a minimum capacity of 350 kW, according to a joint press release from the three companies.
The charging stations will be set up at more than 250 locations across 13 EU countries, such as Bulgaria and Romania, strategically located along key trans-European freight transport corridors. The project seeks to provide charging options for both passenger and commercial electric vehicles, including designated charging sites for trucks and multi-use hubs.
This initiative is one of 39 alternative fuel infrastructure projects recently chosen for EU funding under the second phase of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (AFIF), which was launched in February 2024 with a budget of 1 billion euros.
E.ON, through its subsidiary E.ON Drive Infrastructure, manages over 6,000 public charging points across 11 European nations.
Zapadoslovenska energetika (ZSE), part of the E.ON group, oversees a comprehensive network of alternating current, direct current, and ultra-fast charging stations.
Eldrive Holding, which is owned by the Bulgarian-founded Austria-based Renalfa Solarpro Group, operates over 2,000 charging points in Lithuania, Romania, and Bulgaria, focusing on fast and super-fast charging solutions. Earlier this week, the company launched its second EVC park in Lithuania and plans to open a third by June.
Last year, Eldrive secured 40 million euros in venture debt from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and received 15 million euros in equity financing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). By 2028, the company aims to install and manage 7,400 new EVC stations across Lithuania, Romania, and Bulgaria.