Strategic step towards a broader mobility offer
Q8 now also focuses on electric driving
The Covid-19 pandemic has made us question our mobility even more. For instance, can we drive less or increase electric driving? One thing is certain: Q8 got the message. Following its initial steps in electromobility with partners, Q8 is now resolutely switching its focus to electric driving. With its own extensive charging network, not just at its own stations but also in private homes, in the car parks of retail partners such as Delhaize and other companies and at mobility hubs in cities and municipalities. “Our aim is to offer our customers services for every form of mobility”, Sven Dochez, Director Sustainable Fuels at Q8, explains.
In late 2017, Q8 took its initial steps in e-mobility with the introduction of EDF Luminus fast chargers at its stations. Early last year the first ultra-fast chargers were installed along Belgian motorways in collaboration with Ionity.
And today,Q8 is taking the next big step by setting up its own charging network, including fast chargers that let electric drivers fully recharge their battery in just 20 minutes. Q8’s own service-stations offer the perfect platform for this. At present, 20 Q8 easy stations in our country are equipped with a charging point where two electric vehicles can charge simultaneously. “And we are definitely considering adding to this number”, Sven Dochez continues. “Over the next year, we are planning the installation of more fast charging points at our stations; within 5 years all relevant stations must be fitted with chargers. Because we want to give consumers a growing range of options in terms of the ‘fuel’ they use to travel from point A to B.”
Charging car parks and mobihubs
The ambitious plans go beyond Q8’s own locations. For instance, the car parks of retail partners such as Delhaize will be equipped with Q8 charging points. “The Delhaize branch in Rumst-Reet is first in line. Over the next year we want to install charging points in 19 different car parks”, says Dochez.
Q8 also targets businesses with its electric network. Chemical giant BASF is fully committed to the electrification of vehicles and has already signed up for the project. “Charging points will be installed in their car parks and at their employees’ homes before the end of the year. They will also receive a Q8 electric card to recharge on the way.”
By the end of the year, Q8 aims to offer this new type of electromobility to ten more companies.
And Q8’s ambitions are far-reaching. Dochez continues: “Amongst others, we are looking into creating charging squares at airports, train stations, Park&Ride parking facilities, amusement parks, and so on. Charging points at mobihubs - hubs in towns and cities where
it’s easy to switch to different modes of transportation - are also an option we’re looking into right now.”
With a growing number of charging points, Q8 electric wants to help electric drivers make the transition from fossil fuels to electric driving. “That’s why we have also set up a partner network so drivers can use our Q8 electric card or app to charge at 80% of all charging points in Belgium (some 5,000 in total) and the Benelux (45,000). “For this purpose we have concluded a partnership with the leading charging point operators. Our short-term ambition is to include 90% of the publically accessible charging points in the Benelux in our charging network. Moreover, consumers will also be able to have their own Q8 charger installed at their homes, with all the necessary hardware and service delivered by us”, Dochez explains.
Broad range of mobility services
Following the launch of mobile refueling, a breakdown service, a parking app and their participation in the Dutch car-sharing platform SnappCar, this new charging network signals another major step for Q8 in their transformation from a traditional petroleum player into a mobility player. “We no longer wish to limit our offer to fuels but also include more services that make a broad range of mobility options possible while providing added comfort for our customers”, says Dochez. “That is why we are extremely proud of the innovative steps we are taking and of the ambitious plans we have in store for the future.”
Press contact
| Karen Sleurs Wyngs Communication Agency Email: [email protected] Tel: 0485 28 73 52 |
Katia Van Bouwel Communication Manager Q8 Email: [email protected] |
About Q8 Belgium
With over 465 filling stations and fuel delivery to professional end-users and resellers, Q8 is one of the largest fuel players in the Belgian market. Specifically for the transport industry Q8 runs 40 International Diesel Services (IDS) stations in Belgium. The company is also active in the production, marketing and sales of Q8 lubricants. In the retail industry Q8, in conjunction with Delhaize and Panos, also boasts a strong network of over 120 local ’Shop&Go’ convenience stores. And now Q8 is making major strides in the e-mobility market with Q8 electric: a network of (fast) chargers in their own stations, at locations of partners and customers and via an international network across Europe. It is Q8’s ambition to develop into a mobility player. That is why Q8 continues to innovate and invest in future-oriented opportunities that make every customer journey more sustainable. In 2019, Q8 was elected Best Fuel Brand in Belgium.