Charging Ahead: #EVJourney2 to Brussels paves the way to a sustainable Europe

Ever thought that driving from Athens to Brussels in an electric car was just a wild dream? Let me tell you about this year's EV Journey 2 to Brussels, where dreams became a reality.

In Brussel, the Connecting Europe Days 2024, Europe’s mobility flagship event, are taking place on 2-5 April. So what could be better then showing all 27 EU Transport ministers, the European Commission and other stakeholders all around Europe how easy it is to travel across Europe by an Electric Vehicle (EV). Following the success of the first EV Journey to Lyon in 2022, the call for another challenge was irresistible. And so, #EVJOURNEY2 was born.

13 EV Teams drove electric 10,000’s of KM’s across Europe, utilizing the recharging infrastructure co-funded by the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme of the European Union. Some EV Teams will drove to the Connecting Europe Days 2024 in Brussels all the way from Greece, Slovakia, Poland, Romania, Denmark, Austria, Germany, Netherlands, and Belgium, all 100% electric and using renewable energy – proving that long-distance travel with electric cars across is not only feasible but also exciting and sustainable.

The grand finale awaits at the Egmont Palace in Brussels on April 3rd April 2024, where the teams meet with the 27 EU Ministers of Transport during the informal Transport Council, co-hosted by the European Commission and the Belgian EU Presidency.

But this journey isn't just about showcasing existing infrastructure - it's also a call to action! Achieving Europe’s Climate Goals demands more than just larger and denser robust charging network - it requires innovation and collaboration on a larger scale.

To meet the AFIR (Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation) goals, we need to do much more: expand to large charging hubs with many recharging points, introduce more High Power Chargers (350kW) for cars and MegaWatt Charging Sytems (1000kW) for electric HDV (Heavy Duty Vehicles), much larger grid conenctions (upto 20-40 MW) and explore creating totally new green-field sites. And it's not just about passenger cars - the future infrastructure needs to support electric vans, trucks and buses, emphasizing the synergy between energy and transport, battery storage and local renewable energy.

At Connecting Europe Days 2024, the Joint EV booth will highlight the successful projects undertaken by partners over the years, including EXPAND-E, CONNECT-E, EUROP-E, MEGA-E, MULTI-E, EXPAND-E, and CROSS-E - all made possible with European Union co-funding (grants) and loans from public and private banks.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has joined us on this EV Journey 2

Thanks #Allego #Ardan #Arriva #AvantCar #EON #Fortisis #GridTelecom #IONITY #Petrol #Renovatio #ZSE #Greenway!

And thanks to #CEFTransport, @cinea.eu @Transport_EU who joined us on this amazing journey!

Together, we're driving towards a greener, and more sustainable future, or in other words –towards  a Better Europe !