ACCIONA & Cepsa partner to promote sustainable mobility with a battery swap network

ACCIONA and Cepsa have reached an agreement to carry out a pilot test to develop a battery swap network at Cepsa service stations for the electric vehicles manufactured by Silence, a subsidiary of the ACCIONA Group. Through this alliance, both companies will promote new models of sustainable mobility.

The first initiative of the joint project is already underway in Barcelona (C/ Comte d’Urgell, 219). The plan calls for the initial development in the coming months of ten battery swap stations in as many Cepsa service stations, five in Barcelona and another five in Madrid.

“Our goal, with this initiative, is to implement an extensive network of battery swap services across the country as soon as possible, in line with our purpose of accelerating decarbonization and strengthening our leadership in the sector of 100% renewable electric mobility,” said Carlos Sotelo, CEO of Silence. “With this pilot test in Barcelona and Madrid, hand in hand with Cepsa, our users will have a battery swap station less than 10 minutes away in both cities.”

“At Cepsa we adapt to new types of mobility, as part of our ambition to become leaders in sustainable mobility and energy in Spain and Portugal,” said Isabel Gorgoso, director of New Mobility at Cepsa. “Through this new alliance we will start to offer micro-mobility services at our service stations: one more solution within the different sustainable mobility alternatives we make available to our customers.”

HOW IT WORKS

Silence uses a removable battery system for its electric motorcycles that allows users to leave the empty unit at a battery station, obtain another 100%-charged battery and continue their ride, through a very fast replacement operation, lasting just one minute, which makes this the fastest recharging system on the market. When the driver detects a low charge level, he can use the ACCIONA Battery Station app to locate the nearest swap station and reserve a battery. Once he arrives there, he deposits the battery at an available charging point to take out another fully charged battery.

Silence’s batteries are also used in the Seat Mó electric scooters –manufactured by the ACCIONA subsidiary– and in ACCIONA’s urban mobility service units. The same batteries will be part of the equipment of Silence’s new two-seater car, the S04. The service is also open to any other brand that wishes to join the battery swap system in the future.

To use the charging stations, Silence offers the option of buying a motorbike without a battery, which lowers the price by some 40%, and taking out a monthly subscription service. In addition to cheapening the purchase price, this method also spares the user from having to take care of battery maintenance, as Silence ensures that the batteries are always in mint condition at its swap stations.

COMMITMENT

As part of its 2030 strategy, called ‘Positive Motion’, Cepsa is working to set a benchmark in the energy transition in this decade. For that purpose, it is transforming into a company that focuses more on its customers’ needs, who are also facing their own decarbonization challenges.

As part of its commitment to sustainable mobility, the company is developing the largest ultra-fast electric charging network on the Iberian Peninsula’s roads, which will reach a minimum ratio of one 150kW charger every 200 kilometers on the main highways and intercity roads. In addition, during this decade, Cepsa will boost the demand for green hydrogen in road transport by installing refueling stations on the corridors that connect Spain with Europe.

Cepsa is also revamping its service stations, the second largest station network in Spain and Portugal, as multi-mobility spaces. These digitized facilities will offer a wide variety of ultra-convenience stores and catering services, as well as different energy solutions.

Since October 2018, ACCIONA has a shared urban mobility service with more than 12,000 electric scooters in Spanish and Italian cities. In 2021, ACCIONA acquired Silence, the leading European manufacturer of electric vehicles.

ACCIONA, a leader in the development of sustainable infrastructure and renewable energy, decided to launch its mobility services to stand by its strategic commitment to offer solutions that accelerate the energy transition and the fight against climate change’s impact. ACCIONA has been a carbon neutral company since 2016.