ORLEN invests in charging and washing
The German branch of ORLEN is expanding its network of locations and is planning almost 900 new EV-charging points in the coming years. Car washing will also be a part of the service in the future. ORLEN plans to expand existing locations while new ones will be built as pure charging parks.
The German part of ORLEN belongs to the Polish multi-energy group PKN ORLEN S.A., which is the largest Central Eastern European company with annual sales of 29 billion euros.
ORLEN Deutschland is based in Elmshorn near Hamburg and currently operates almost 600 Star and ORLEN service stations.
The company has big plans for the future, as they have to respond to the ongoing energy transformation. ORLEN is launching a comprehensive electromobility initiative in its network this year.
According to a press release the goal is to expand the existing offering and add additional mobility solutions over the next three years. In a first step, around 100 million euros will be invested in the project, called “ORLEN Charge”. A big chunk of the money will be used for the construction of 434 charging stations, with 2 fast chargers per location.
Largest project in ORLEN history
“The expansion of the e-mobility offer in our network is another significant step towards the future”, says Piotr Guział, Chief Development Officer of ORLEN Deutschland GmbH. “It is the largest project in the 20-year history of ORLEN Germany and a great challenge and exciting task for all employees.” It also means more jobs. The company is looking for 25 new e-mobility experts.
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More washes for e-cars
Car washes will play a role in the expansion plans. Though not every location will get a wash service. Our colleagues of CarwashPro.de reached out to ORLEN with a couple of questions.
Will the expansion plans always include car wash options at the locations?
“This is not always the case and depends on various factors such as competition, infrastructure and the size of the plot available. Basically, we believe that carwashing and charging (and also vacuuming) can be combined very well.”
Will pure charging locations also offer washing facilities for customers in the future?
“That will be decided individually for each location. If it is possible from the point of view of the property and the space required, and if it seems sensible based on the location factors, washing facilities will certainly be considered.”
What is ORLEN’s basic assessment of the future link between the store and the wash? Do you continue to see customer interest in also wanting a clean car while they wait to recharge it?
“We assume that customers of e-vehicles will actually wash their cars more frequently than customers of conventional vehicles. This is due to the age of the vehicles: Younger vehicles in particular are washed more frequently.”
Under what conditions (including technical conditions) will EV-charging customers be able to wash at your new locations in the future? What conditions would lead to locations being opened without washing facilities?
“Sites that are too small, face strong local competition in the car wash sector or have strict requirements such as noise protection may not get a car wash service.”
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