Charging up

29 November 2016 By Olaf Storbeck

Competitors like Elon Musk’s company are shifting big automakers into a more cooperative gear. Four arch-rivals have teamed up to build charging infrastructure for electric cars in Europe. Though collaboration keeps costs down, trustbusters need to keep their eyes on the road.

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Four large carmakers are setting up a joint venture to create a network of charging stations for electric vehicles along European highways.

German groups BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen and U.S. giant Ford on Nov. 29 announced they signed a memorandum of understanding to create the venture.

The business, which aims to start building in 2017, is initially targeting 400 sites. By 2020 the joint venture wants to give drivers access to thousands of high-powered charging points along major European highways.

"The availability of high-power stations allows long-distance electric mobility for the first time and will convince more and more customers to opt for an electric vehicle," Daimler Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche said.

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