KSA gets National EV Charging Network. Electromin launches 100 charging points.

Electromin, a wholly owned e-Mobility turn-key solutions provider under Petromin, the leading Saudi company in the advanced lubricants, automotive technology, multi-modal mobility, and sustainable transportation segment, has announced the rollout of EV charging points across the Kingdom powered by a customer-centric mobile application. The launch of this national public EV charger network includes 100 locations across the Kingdom, enabling drivers to go on long journeys with easy access to EV charging stations.

Electromin’s charging network will offer a complete spectrum of services – from AC home/office chargers, DC fast chargers, all the way through to DC ultra-fast chargers, catering for all customer segments.

The chargers installed in Phase 1 will be compatible with all homologated vehicles approved by SASO in KSA using AC Type 2 connectors. Phase 2 will include additional AC chargers and DC chargers up to 360kW, effectively allowing users to add up to 100 Km of range in 4 minutes.

The App will be showing all charging locations within the selected Petromin Express and Petromin AutoCare outlets in early June. It will allow customers to locate the nearest public charger, plan their route, check the status of the charger to ensure it is available, and allow them to fully control the start and finish of their charging session. The app will also facilitate payments and bookings.

Commenting on the launch, Tony Mazzone, Electromin’s Director of Energy & EV Infrastructure, said, “The rollout of EV charging points across the Kingdom is our first phase of a significant national strategy that extends to 2030 and beyond. Electromin’s offers multiple technology-orientated eMaaS solutions contributing to the development of the Saudi EV ecosystem and in line with the national priorities and commitments of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2060 and 30% of vehicles in Riyadh being electric by 2030.”

“Studies show that EV sales in the Kingdom will increase with a projection of 1.3 million electric vehicles sold in the next eight years. Electromin’s unique mix of service options such as EV chargers, site survey, EV installation, and charger servicing will offer a monumental and impactful shift towards e-mobility in Saudi Arabia. Electromin will ensure full life cycle support in the EV aftermarket ecosystem by leveraging our vast network of over 700 locations across the country. Building on our national network of charging stations will mean less pollution, more employment opportunities, and cleaner cars to deliver on the Kingdom’s clean energy investments.”

This announcement demonstrates what clean energy investments can deliver. Building a national network of charging stations will result in less pollution, more jobs, and cleaner cars. It will also make electric vehicles an increasingly practical choice for households in the Kingdom as the trend to purchase EVs gathers pace.

Graham Tunks, Commercial Director of Electromin added, “There is a need to develop an EV ecosystem in the region offering a one-stop e-Mobility solution for electric vehicles while managing and controlling the network of charging stations flexibly and efficiently. Electromin is the first in KSA to offer a public charging solution using SASO regulated chargers, with full approval by municipalities, enabling drivers to make the switch to EVs knowing that there is a complete network for them to rely on.”

Electromin will be introducing added features and upgrades in their App soon to align with the future expansion of their value proposition and rollout of the network. Customers will need to download the App via Google Play or Apple Store, register their payment card details, and they are good to go. A dedicated call center will also guide and help EV users with charging, faults, or technical errors.

Additionally, customers can now benefit from the assistance of the Electromin Mobile EV Recovery Service. The key feature of this service is to ensure the on-road issues facing customers whose EVs have run out of battery. Through the service, they can contact Electromin who will then send out a recovery vehicle that can charge their battery enough to get them to the closest charging point. The recovery service will be initially limited to Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam.

The overall objective of Electomin’s new services and features is to support the consumer’s effective transition from a traditional Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicle to an Electric Vehicle (EV), diminish any concerns around range anxiety as well as promote this positive change in driving behavior and lifestyle choices.