April 21 (SeeNews) - Sofia-based eMobility International said it has opened its first rapid charging station for electric vehicles (EV) in the city of Blagoevgrad, in southwestern Bulgaria.
The 50-kW charging station, located on the premises of do-it-yourself retailer Mr. Bricolage, allows for the charging of the batteries of most electric car models in less than 30 minutes, eMobility said in a statement.
"Rapid charging stations require higher electricity network capacity [...] and their cost is many times higher compared with standard charging stations. The next rapid charging station will be located in Sofia, on Botevgradsko Shosse boulevard and will become operational by the end of April," Daniela Asenova, director of eMobility International, said.
The launch of the station in Blagoevgrad marks the start of the second stage of the construction of a nationwide network planned by the company.
eMobility International operates under the Eldrive brand in Southeastern Europe by building and managing charging station infrastructure and offering flexible solutions for short and long-term rental services of electric vehicles.eMobility International has 23 charging stations in Bulgaria and has 30 electric automobiles which the company rents out.
In December, eMobility International said it plans to invest 3 million euro ($3.1 million) into the construction of about 500 charging points for electric cars in Bulgaria and neighbouring countries by the end of 2017.
($= 0.9346 euro)