Aral: Fast charging network to be expanded more quickly

The Bochum-based gas station operator Aral has announced a significantly faster expansion of its network with ultra-fast charging stations for electric vehicles. Under the new brand “Aral pulse,” the company aims to have 500 charging points with up to 350 kilowatts of charging power at over 120 stations by the end of the year.

“Our e-offering is gaining momentum. We will quintuple the number of our charging points this year,” announced Aral board member Patrick Wendeler.

Given the increasing demand for electric vehicles, he sees the time as ripe to also accelerate the expansion of the charging infrastructure. The Bochum-based company wants to underscore the “importance of electric vehicle charging for future business” with the establishment of the new brand Aral pulse, which consolidates all activities in the field of e-mobility. The aim is to help shape the electrification of transport, it says.

“We want to offer our customers with electric vehicles the fastest and, measured against their high standards, the best network of ultra-fast charging stations in Germany,” Wendeler further proclaimed.

The charging stations will receive the new design and are intended to visually stand out from the fuel pumps. Already installed fast chargers will be redesigned in the coming weeks. For fleet customers, the Bochum-based company is also developing "holistic solutions for commercial e-mobility" with the Aral Fuel & Charge card, offering everything from access to the public charging network to the establishment of their own charging infrastructure and an app.

Non-stop from Bochum to Hamburg

By the end of February, the company has so far put around 100 charging points at 25 stations into operation on its own. They operate with 100 percent green electricity and, depending on the location, have a charging capacity of up to 300 or 350 kilowatts. This allows an appropriately equipped vehicle to charge enough electricity for a range of up to 350 kilometers within ten minutes, enabling a non-stop journey from Bochum to Hamburg. The charging is about as fast as refueling at a gas pump, enthuses the gas station operator.