EDP Comercial and Saba have just signed a partnership to install 50 electric charging stations in 14 car parks operated by Saba in 10 cities across the country. These stations will be connected to the MOBI.E public network, and anyone with an electric vehicle will be able to use them.

With this agreement, electric vehicle users will have more outdoor charging options in public spaces across the country. The first stations will start being installed from August onwards. More than half of the stations are expected to be completed by the end of 2020.

Each park will feature at least two charging stations; Nova SBE's parking lot in Carcavelos will have as many as 10 charging stations. The other parks comprised in the partnership are located in Lisbon, Porto, Póvoa de Varzim, Vila Nova de Gaia, Matosinhos, Aveiro, Cascais, Leiria, Faro, and Funchal.

This partnership with Saba is an important milestone for the growth strategy which EDP has adopted to expand the public charging network in Portugal and boost the confidence of electric vehicle users. The agreement will allow EDP Comercial to increase the number of charging stations connected to the public network to more than 250.

“Electric mobility is a key step for decarbonization and for the creation of a more sustainable world. EDP has been making significant investments in this area in order to meet the needs of Portuguese EV drivers, both at home and outdoors. This partnership reflects the company's strategy of associating with leading partners from various sectors of our economy and will boost the relevance and scope of the outdoor charging network,” says EDP Comercial President Vera Pinto Pereira.

“Saba believes it is increasingly important to intensify strategies focusing on electric mobility, which is why it has been entering into several agreements with major energy distribution companies in order to expand this service in the various countries where the company operates. This partnership with EDP, which provides for the installation of 50 charging stations in 14 of our parks, underscores our commitment to adopting a sustainable mobility model, supporting the social responsibility initiatives that are being developed around the globe, and offering our customers top-quality innovative services,” says Saba Portugal Managing Director Marco Martins.

Saba's vision for the parking industry is based on sustainable service hubs encompassing both urban mobility policies and modes of transport, which is why it has been making significant investments in intermodality systems and offering car, scooter and e-bike sharing services. The company has been conducting various urban logistics experiments (microdistribution and e-commerce) which transform parking lots into small distribution nodes (last mile), thus contributing to a more sustainable urban distribution model. New urban logistics and sharing projects are being implemented in various countries across the Saba network, with a special emphasis on the expansion of the EV charging station network.

Customers with rented spots in SABA car parks will be able to use EDP Comercial's CEME card to get special benefits - such as discounts - when charging their electric vehicles with 100% renewable energy.

As an electric mobility electricity supplier, EDP Comercial has already issued more than 21,000 charging cards; over 95,000 recharges have been made across the EDP public charging network, totaling more than 1200 MWh, which has prevented more than 827 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

List of SABA car parks that will have EDP Comercial charging stations:

• Nova SBE (Carcavelos)
• Parque Beira-Rio (Vila Nova de Gaia)
• Alto do Parque (Lisbon)
• ­Mouzinho de Albuquerque (Póvoa de Varzim)
• Cruz Carvalho Hospital (Funchal)
• Pontinha (Faro)
• Praça do Município (Lisbon)
• Marquês de Pombal (Aveiro)
• Casa da Música (Porto)
• Fonte Luminosa (Leiria)
• Marisqueiras (Matosinhos)
• Cardosas (Porto)
• Ribeira (Porto)
• Praça de Lisboa (Porto)