Gentbrugge – A significant fast-charging hub has been inaugurated in Gentbrugge on the E17 motorway, featuring 16 car chargers and 4 truck charging points, catering to up to 1,000 vehicles daily, reports 24brussels.
According to VRT News, the charging station is strategically located in the municipality of Ghent, within East Flanders, Belgium. Construction on the two sites commenced last year and has now reached completion.
The facility is designed to accommodate up to 1,000 electric vehicles each day, with each station hosting 8 chargers to allow simultaneous charging for 16 cars. The chargers offer a power output of 400 kW, enabling rapid battery recharging.
How will the new Gentbrugge EV hub on the E17 shape Belgium’s charging network?
In addition to serving passenger vehicles, the site includes dedicated facilities for freight transport with 4 charging points reserved for electric trucks. Fastned, the operating company, emphasizes that this project meets the increasing demand for charging capacity. Currently, only 5% of Belgian cars are electric, but projections suggest that this figure could rise to 25% by 2030.
New highway service zones will exclusively support electric vehicles, eliminating petrol or diesel fuel options. The site also features amenities such as showers, restrooms, a shop, and a restaurant, along with outdoor picnic tables and a playground. The total area of the hub spans 8,000 square meters.
Authorities have linked this project to a broader transformation in transportation policy. Many service zones across Belgium still depend on fossil fuels, providing limited charging facilities. As part of future concession rounds, the government intends to enhance the model of all-electric zones, with plans to renovate numerous service areas in the coming years.
Belgium has made rapid advancements in expanding its charging network to support the rise of electric mobility. Federal data indicates that the country had approximately 30,000 public charging points by 2024, a significant increase from fewer than 10,000 in 2020. Flanders aims for 35,000 chargers by 2025 and over 100,000 by 2030, with the first motorway service areas exclusively for electric vehicles opening in 2023.
