Features

Benfica unveils charging station for electric vehicles

Portuguese Primeira Liga football club SL Benfica has unveiled seven electric vehicle charging stations at the Estádio da Luz.

One of the stations is an “ultra-fast” 160kW charging point, which allows users to restore their vehicle’s energy levels in just 10 minutes. According to Benfica, this is the first such station in Lisbon.

The charging hub also features two “fast” 50kW points and four “normal” 22kW points. Each charging point is connected to the MOBI.E network and is available to all electric vehicle users with a CEME card.

Olívia Alves, environmental specialist for the ECO Benfica project, said: “Energy management is a very important component of our environmental sustainability policy. We have water management projects and we have boreholes at the Benfica Campus where we use water to irrigate all the green spaces.

“We have photovoltaic panels that already produce energy for self-consumption (at the Campus). Since they were installed, in 2019, we have already saved the equivalent of 10,000 trees. The installation of photovoltaic panels at the stadium is also being studied.”

Gonçalo Castelo Branco, director of intelligent mobility at Portuguese electric energy company EDP, added: “It’s a car park that, for the first two hours, is free, which is convenient.

“The two brands have a clear path on the subject of environmental sustainability. Electric vehicles are already a reality, so it’s imperative that brands like Benfica and EDP help their fans and customers in this energy transition. Our mission is to be a leader in the energy transition. It is important to be in the various places where customers are.”

Image: SL Benfica