Continente has announced plans to install more than 110 charging points for electric vehicles as it expands its Plug & Charge network throughout Portugal.
The retailer added that it aims to create a network with national dispersion and competitive prices across all locations.
New Locations
In 2021, the retailer is planning to install charging points in 31 new locations across the country.
The move will allow for the creation of a network with a maximum distance of less than 100 kilometres between hubs, and, whenever possible, all new Continente stores will have Plug & Charge points and self-consumption photovoltaic plants, in order to minimise the carbon dioxide footprint of stores.
This will let customers recharge their electric vehicles using renewable energy.
Plug & Charge is a simple service, wherein customers download the Continente Plug & Charge app and recharge their vehicles for up to 200 kilometres in one hour. Charging costs 0.01€/minute and the price is uniform across all Continente stores offering the service.
Plug & Charge
Since the beginning of the project in September 2020, Continente has already installed 104 charging points, in 24 stores. The charging points have been used more than 11,000 times, supplying around 148MWh of energy.
The network, with a daily average of 4,000 kilometres, has already prevented the release of 72 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
The installation of charging stations for electric vehicles is one of the investments covered by the financing of the European Investment Bank and the European Fund for Strategic Investments.
Global Project
Continente Plug & Charge is one of the initiatives of a global project launched several years ago by Sonae MC, with a view to improving consumption efficiency and environmental sustainability.
The initiative also contributes to the retailer's commitment to reduce the carbon footprint assumed in the signing of the Paris Agreement.
Sonae MC's investment in energy efficiency as a way to ensure the long-term sustainability of its businesses is a priority and goes beyond the investments included in this specific project, such as investing in the opening of new stores that meet the highest energy efficiency standards.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Conor Farrelly. For more Retail news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
