E.ON Drive buys former bp pulse chargers in the Netherlands
Acquired from Catom, the sites lift the E.ON unit’s Dutch network to more than 70 locations and 350 fast-charging points, branded Essent for passenger-car drivers.
E.ON Drive Infrastructure (EDRI) has acquired the former bp pulse charging network in the Netherlands from Catom, which runs the former bp fuel stations under the OK brand. Together with EDRI’s existing Dutch sites, the network now has more than 70 locations and over 350 fast-charging points, placing the company among the country’s top four charge point operators.
Most of the acquired sites are at fuel stations along busy routes, so drivers can use the shop and other facilities while they charge. Seventeen of them are Mega Charging HUBs with up to 300 kW per charger. At 51 other sites, battery-buffered chargers provide fast charging where grid capacity is limited.
For passenger cars, the network carries the Essent brand, a Dutch energy supplier and EDRI’s sister company in the E.ON group. Every charger is also labeled “Operated by E.ON Drive,” as EDRI owns, builds, operates and maintains the infrastructure, while Essent is the customer-facing brand.
“The Netherlands is one of Europe’s most dynamic electric vehicle (EV) markets, and it calls for strong partners,” said Arjan van der Eijk, COO of E.ON Drive Infrastructure. “Essent enjoys exceptionally high trust among Dutch consumers. We provide the operational reliability that trust depends on.”
Last year, Catom took over bp’s roughly 300 Dutch fuel stations and its local pulse business.
