Dutch chargepoint operator Fastned has opened a pair of new, flagship charging hubs it describes as providing a “vision for the future for rest areas”.
The hubs are located either side of the E17 motorway in Belgium between Ghent and Antwerp. Each station features 14 charging bays delivering electricity at up to 400kW, while there are also two chargers for HGVs.
The stations are adorned with Fastned’s trademark ‘solar trees’: yellow-edged canopies that both shelter drivers, and host photovoltaic cells to generate electricity.
Described as ‘rest areas’ rather than charging hubs, the stations play host to a restaurant and self-service shop, with Fastned saying the new facilities are designed to make them not just “a place to charge”, but “a destination that travellers will want to visit on their journey”.
A picnic area and children’s playground are also on offer, while the on-site restrooms and showers are designed by One Hundred, which specialises in high-end facilities.
