I confess. When I have to try an electric car or a plug-in hybrid, I often take advantage of going to the nearest supermarket (a Mercadona, yes) and charge a little while I shop. It is not a very fast recharge, they barely go to 3.7 kW, but in the 20-30 minutes that you are there, you gain a few kilometers of autonomy.
Well then. It seems that that is over… or at least to do it for free. Now, in collaboration with Iberdrola and Repsol, they are going to invest 21 million euros in implementing 5,000 charging points between now and 2022. Much faster (six times more, they go from 3.7 to 22 kW) and of course, for a fee.
An important detail is missing: the price. The company’s statement only indicates that “electric vehicle users who recharge in these chargers will be able to approximately half the cost of making a journey compared to its traditional equivalent.” They can be used using the Iberdrola Public Recharge mobile application and Repsol’s Waylet (where you can also see where the nearest charger is and find out if it is available).
There are currently 2,000 Mercadona charging points, of which 100 already have this new improved service. It will be extended to the rest of the stores that have implemented the new model of Efficient Store and that they have parking progressively. The goal is to complete the network by the end of 2024.
Of course, with more than 5,000 semi-rapid charging points, it will be one of the largest charging networks for electric vehicles in Spain. The strategy, they indicate from the distributor, is linked to the implementation of renewable energies and energy saving measures in their centers.
