Amsterdam-based fast-charging company Fastned announced on Monday the launch of its new Android Auto App. The app allows electric vehicle drivers to find the nearest Fastned station easily and safely while driving.
Drivers can also view real-time charger availability, check current kWh pricing, and get directions through Google Maps and Waze with the app.
The Android Auto app launch follows the introduction of Fastned’s Apple CarPlay app earlier this year. Fastned designed both apps to make fast charging convenient for EV drivers.
Robin Wouters, director of product management and engineering at Fastned, says, “Following the launch of Apple CarPlay, we now also offer Android users the opportunity to experience the benefits of the app. We are happy to contribute to safer and more convenient electric driving by being only a touch away from the drivers’ needs, directly at their infotainment screen.”
The Fastned Android Auto app is available for download from the Google Play Store. Users must have a compatible Android phone and a car with an Android Auto-compatible infotainment system to use the app.
“The app has been developed in Android’s closed environment, in line with Android’s requirements. Our team continues to gather and process customers’ feedback to further improve the user experience,” Wouters adds.
Pioneering fast charging growth in Europe
Founded in 2012 by Michiel Langezaal and Bart Lubbers, Fastned currently operates over 150 stations in high-traffic areas such as motorways and city centres. Offering charging speeds up to 350 kW, the company enables EVs to achieve a range of up to 300 kilometres in just 15 minutes.
Fastned owns and maintains an extensive network of electric vehicle charging stations in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Belgium, with a significant presence at rest stops along Dutch highways.
In September, Fastned won a tender to build fast charging stations in 92 locations in western and southwestern Germany. It will triple the company’s network of stations in the country and help to accelerate the transition to electric mobility.
The German Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport led the tender as a part of a broader initiative to expand the country’s fast-charging infrastructure. Fastned will build the new stations in cooperation with municipalities, commercial, and private landowners.
“We want to congratulate the Ministry on accelerating the rollout of a fast charging network across the country through this tender. This helps local authorities and municipalities speed up the process of contracting the best operators to build this much-needed fast charging infrastructure,” says Langezaal, who also currently serves as the company’s CEO.
Securing support for cleaner mobility
On October 17, Fastned secured €30.4M with the issue of new bonds, plus an additional €3.5M from investors extending their investments from earlier issues. The bonds have a six per cent coupon and a five-year maturity.
It is the 13th round in Fastned’s bond programme, which brings the total outstanding number of investments raised with retail investors to more than €163M.
“We are proud that investors increasingly see Fastned as an attractive investment and want to support our mission. Our growing investor community plays a key role in supporting Fastned’s network expansion as we continue winning long-term tenders and high-traffic locations across Europe,” says Victor van Dijk, CFO of Fastned.
The announcement came a week after Fastned reported its successful third quarter of 2023. Revenue from charging grew by 51 per cent compared to the same period in 2022, and the company reached one million charging sessions during the quarter. The growth was driven by solid growth in the battery electric vehicle (BEV) market.
“As we enter the fall with record-breaking temperatures all over the world, the need to reduce CO2 emissions to curb climate change is undeniable. Fastned is playing an important role in cleaner mobility as we enable EV drivers to drive millions of electric kilometres, without burning fossil fuel,” Langezaal says.
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