The Government of Asturias, through the Asturian Energy Foundation (FAEN), together with EDP and the Gijón-based company Efibat, is leading a national pilot project to promote electric mobility.

These three entities have signed a collaboration agreement this morning under which the first 5 public access charging points for electric vehicles will be installed, which will be equipped with a technology that allows payment to be made using commonly used bank cards or mobile devices.

The incorporation of the contactless payment system represents a particularly relevant innovation in the field of electric mobility, because currently, given the variety and diversity of charging point operators, drivers are forced to have different means of payment or user accounts in the mobile applications of each infrastructure provider.

The installation of these first public access charging points is part of a major project involving the Government of Asturias and a group of companies formed by MASTERCARD, Banco Sabadell and the two signatories of the collaboration agreement, for the implementation of a major electric corridor in Spain, Portugal and France with the installation of up to a thousand vehicle charging points.

Asturias, in this sense, will be the first Autonomous Community in which the new recharging equipment with contactless technology will be installed.

To this end, FAEN is making a contribution of 30,000 euros for both the installation of public access charging points and to obtain detailed information on the use of the infrastructures, which will make it possible to adapt and improve the experience of electric vehicle users and to know the usability parameters of the drivers.

Electric mobility is a priority for EDP and this agreement reflects its strategy, which focuses on guaranteeing electric vehicle drivers a charging infrastructure that facilitates their journeys, but also the most innovative home charging solutions. With these 5 new installations, EDP will exceed 100 charging points in Asturias, accessible to all electric vehicle users. In addition, and thanks to interoperability, the EDP Move On application allows charging at more than 800 points throughout the country.

The collaboration agreement was signed by the Minister of Industry, Employment and Economic Promotion, Enrique Fernández, in his capacity as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the FAEN Foundation. EDP was represented by Javier Martínez, Director of Electric Mobility, and Efibat was represented by its sole administrator, Cipriano Fernández.

Fernández highlighted the fact that this initiative is the result of public-private collaboration and represents a unique initiative within the regional government's strategy to promote electric and sustainable mobility. He highlighted the strength of partners such as EDP, as operator and manager of the charging points, and the company Efibat, based in Gijón, which will be responsible for manufacturing the infrastructures.

"This is a project that involves energy sustainability by introducing mobility based on renewable and non-fossil fuel sources. It also means environmental sustainability and economic sustainability, as it generates activity and employment, bearing in mind that this pilot project is part of a larger one that will be developed at an international level", explains the Industry Councillor.

"Our objective", adds Enrique Fernández, "is to continue in this line of collaboration between companies and administrations that is generating such good results and that we intend to intensify, favouring the fulfilment of the objectives set for the progressive decarbonisation of our economy in this process of fair energy transition. And at the same time, promoting the value chain and the productive activity of Asturian companies as suppliers of equipment or technologies associated with sustainable mobility".