Acciona and Cepsa team up to promote sustainable mobility through a network of battery swapping stations

ACCIONA and Cepsa have reached an agreement to conduct a pilot test aimed at developing a network of battery swapping stations at Cepsa service stations for electric vehicles manufactured by Silence, an ACCIONA subsidiary. With this partnership, the two companies will boost new models of sustainable mobility.

The first initiative of the joint project is already underway in Barcelona (C/ Comte d’Urgell, 219). The plan envisages the initial development of ten swapping stations at ten Cepsa stations in the coming months, five in the Catalan capital and another five in Madrid.

“With this initiative, our goal is to roll out a vast network of battery swapping stations across the country as soon as possible, as a means to accelerate the de-carbonisation process and strengthen our leadership in the 100% renewable electric mobility sector”, said Carlos Sotelo, CEO of Silence. “With this pilot project in Barcelona and Madrid, our users will have a battery swapping station at a distance of less than 10 minutes away in both cities, with the help of Cepsa”.

“Cepsa is adapting its strategy to new forms of mobility, as part of its commitment to become a leader in sustainable mobility and energy in Spain and Portugal”, said Isabel Gorgoso, Director of New Mobility at Cepsa. “With this new partnership, we will start offering micro-mobility services at our service stations: another solution among the many different sustainable mobility alternatives we offer our customers”.

HOW IT WORKS

Silence electric scooters have a removable battery system, which allows users to swap a discharged battery for a fully-charged battery at a battery station and resume their journey. The battery is swapped very quickly, in just one minute, which makes this the fastest charging system on the market right now. When the driver detects a low charge level, they can use the Silence Battery Station app to locate the nearest battery swapping station and reserve a battery. At the Battery Station, the driver places the discharged battery in an available charging point and takes a fully charged battery.

Silence batteries are also used in Seat Mó electric scooters – manufactured by ACCIONA’s subsidiary – and in ACCIONA’s urban mobility service units. The same batteries will be used in Silence’s new two-seater car: the S04. The service will be available to any other brand that would like to join the swapping system in the future.

To use the charging stations, Silence offers the option of buying the scooter without a battery, which reduces the price by 40%, and signing up for a monthly subscription. In addition to allowing customers to purchase the scooter at a much lower price, this method also saves the user from having to service the battery, as Silence ensures that the batteries available at its Battery Stations are always in perfect working order.

COMMITMENT

Cepsa is working to become a benchmark in the energy transition throughout the 2020s, as part of its “Positive Motion” strategy for 2030. To achieve this, it is transforming into a company that focuses more on the needs of its customers, who also face their own de-carbonisation challenges.

In addition, as part of its commitment to sustainable mobility, the company is developing the largest roadside ultra-fast charging network in the Iberian Peninsula, which will ensure that there is at least one 150 kW charger every 200 kilometres on the main highways and interurban roads. In addition, during the 2020s, it will boost the demand for green hydrogen in road transport by installing refuelling stations on the corridors that connect Spain and Europe.

Moreover, Cepsa, the company with the second largest service station network in Spain and Portugal, is transforming its service stations into multi-mobility spaces. These digitalised facilities will offer a wide range of ultra-convenience and catering services, as well as different energy solutions.

Since October 2018, ACCIONA has operated a shared urban mobility service with more than 12,000 electric scooters across Spain and Italy. In 2021, ACCIONA acquired Silence, Europe’s leading electric vehicle manufacturer.

The decision to launch ride-sharing services by ACCIONA, a leader in the development of sustainable infrastructures and renewable energies, responds to the company’s strategic commitment to offer solutions that accelerate the energy transition and the fight against climate change. ACCIONA is a carbon-neutral company since 2016.