Iberdrola and RB Iberia to Install 400 Electric Vehicle Charging Points in Restaurants

• The agreement includes the installation of super-fast (150kW), fast (50kW) and semi-fast (22kW) charging points, which will be geolocated and managed through Iberdrola’s Public Charging App.

• The chargers will be located in the car parks of nearly 200 Burger King® and Popeyes® restaurants, where users will be able to charge their electric car batteries in approximately 15 to 30 minutes with 100 % green energy

• Iberdrola continues to accelerate its sustainable mobility plan, which foresees the installation of 150,000 electric chargers in homes, businesses and on public roads, and its transport electrification strategy to move towards an emission-free economy

• RB Iberia’s new facilities to promote sustainable mobility will save 6,000 tons of CO2 per year and will have a positive impact on air quality similar to that of three million new trees

Iberdrola has reached an agreement with Restaurant Brands Iberia (RB Iberia), the group that holds the master franchise operating rights for Spain and Portugal for the Burger King®, Tim Hortons® and Popeyes® brands, for the installation of up to 400 fast and super-fast electric vehicle charging points in Spain.

With this initiative, Iberdrola continues to accelerate its sustainable mobility plan, which foresees the installation of 150,000 electric chargers in homes, businesses and on public roads, and its transport electrification strategy to move towards an emission-free economy.

Through this agreement, RB Iberia is moving forward in its commitment to full sustainability in undertaking its activity and to reducing its carbon footprint, using its network of restaurants to promote the use of electric cars.

RB Iberia will install up to 400 electric vehicle charging points during 2021, which will be distributed across nearly 200 free standing model restaurants (independently built, chalet-style restaurants) of the Burger King® and Popeyes® brands.

In addition, the group plans to incorporate around 100 new vehicle charging points in newly built free standing restaurants each year. RB Iberia’s new facilities for promoting sustainable mobility will save 6,000 tonnes of CO2 per year and will have a positive impact on air quality similar to that of three million new trees

The agreement between the two companies, which is exclusive for the next 10 years, includes the installation and maintenance of super-fast (150kW), fast (50kW) and semi-fast (22kW) charging points in Burger King® and Popeyes® car parks in Spain, although it could be extended to Portugal in a second stage.

With this infrastructure, while users are enjoying their meals they will be able to charge the battery of their electric cars in approximately 15 to 30 minutes, with 100 % green energy from clean energy sources. RB Iberia wants to use its extensive network of restaurants to contribute to sustainable mobility and, therefore, the service will be available to any user, with no obligation to eat in the restaurant.

The chargers, located in the car parks of Burger King® and Popeyes® restaurants, will be geolocated and users will be able to manage charging from the Iberdrola Public Charging app, the only one in Spain that includes verified information on all electric vehicle charging points, both Iberdrola points and those of other operators. The application allows users to locate the nearest charge point, as well as reserve and pay with their mobile phone.

With this initiative, Iberdrola progresses in its plan to roll out sustainable mobility infrastructure across the country. “This agreement confirms the need to continue collaborating with all the agents involved in sustainable mobility.

Burger King® and Popeyes® are an excellent ally with which to advance in implementing solutions for the electrification of transport, which respond to the challenges of decarbonisation and to improving air quality in our cities and municipalities”, explains Alfonso Calderón, commercial director of Iberdrola Spain.

“This agreement represents another important step forward in RB Iberia’s commitment to sustainability, aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of our restaurants, which are at the heart of our business.

We are particularly pleased to be able to use our extensive network of restaurants with parking to contribute to sustainable mobility in Spain together with Iberdrola”, said Gregorio Jiménez, President of Restaurant Brands Iberia.

A key step in the transition process towards being a sustainable restaurant business

This initiative is part of RB Iberia’s global sustainability strategy, which is focused on contributing to reducing the environmental footprint of its activity, sourcing sustainably and investing in the people and communities where it has a presence.

The sustainability strategy includes a particularly significant commitment to the construction of increasingly sustainable restaurants.

Since 2019, the group has been committed to promoting the free standing (chalet-style) format in newly opened restaurants, designed to reduce their environmental impact, from the sustainable techniques and materials used in the construction of the buildings, to the type of lighting used and the responsible management of water and waste generated in our premises.

The group has more than 500 of its own restaurants in Spain and, as part of its commitment to energy saving, is carrying out an ambitious energy self-consumption plan to install photovoltaic panels in nearly 300 restaurants in Spain.

Electric mobility and green recovery

Iberdrola continues its commitment to transport electrification in its transition strategy towards a decarbonised economy, as a key way of reducing emissions and pollution and ensuring the green recovery.

The company is rolling out a sustainable mobility plan, with an investment of 150 million euros, with which it will increase its roll-out of electric vehicle charging points over the coming years.

The initiative entails installing around 150,000 charging points in homes, companies and on the public road network in cities, as well as on the main motorways and roads.

The commitment to deploying high-efficiency charging points will include the company installing ultra-rapid (350 kW) charging points every 200 kilometres, super-rapid points (150 kW) every 100 kilometres, and rapid (50 kW) points every 50 kilometres.

Iberdrola is aware of the need to boost electric mobility in Spain through coordinated, effective action involving the major players. The company continues to identify opportunities to generate an industrial, commercial and innovation ecosystem to consolidate the development of sustainable mobility.

As a result, it has now completed more than 50 infrastructure roll-out agreements with government departments, institutions, companies, service stations and vehicle dealers and manufacturers.

Iberdrola is the first Spanish company to sign up to The Climate Group’s EV100 initiative, which has the objective of speeding up the transition to electric vehicles, by committing to electrifying its entire vehicle fleet and streamlining the charging process for staff at its businesses in Spain and the United Kingdom by 2030.

Source: evwind