Helen installs fast-charge stations in shopping centres – first fast-charge station to be opened in Columbus in Vuosaari
All Citycon's shopping centres will be equipped with rapid charging points for electric vehicles implemented in cooperation with energy company Helen Ltd. The first rapid charging point will be opened in Shopping Centre Columbus in early February. Rapid charging is suited to all fully electric vehicles, and, as the name suggests, charging a vehicle at one of these points is very fast, taking approximately one hour.
In Vuosaari, the customers of Shopping Centre Columbus will be able to take advantage of the rapid charging option from early February. By the end of the month, fast-charge stations will have been installed in Citycon's other shopping centres: Iso Omena in Espoo and Myyrmanni in Vantaa, Koskikeskus in Tampere, Shopping Centre Trio in Lahti, IsoKarhu in Pori and IsoKristiina in Lappeenranta. Iso Omena and Koskikeskus will feature two charging points and the other shopping centres one.
One of the main aims of Citycon's sustainability strategy is to inspire people to use more environmentally friendly modes of transport. An important milestone for achieving this goal is to equip all of Citycon's 40 shopping centres in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Estonia with charging points for electric vehicles and bikes by the end of 2023.
- The agreement we have made with Helen allows us to install fast-charge stations for electric vehicles in all our shopping centres in Finland, so in this country, we will achieve the objective we have laid out in our sustainability strategy already at the start of 2021, notes Wilhelm Ehrnrooth, the sustainability manager at Citycon.
The power of the fast-charge stations is 50 kW, which means that the charging time for an electric vehicle is approximately one hour, depending on the size of the battery of the vehicle. Helen's public charging network includes more than 220 charging stations. Helen's public charging stations use renewable wind energy.
- Helen invests heavily in electric transport and its infrastructure nationwide. We want to make charging even faster, easier and more sustainable. With rapid charging, it can be done safely, and an electric vehicle will be fully charged during just a quick shopping trip, tells Senior Vice President Sari Mannonen at Helen Solution Business.