Fastned has inaugurated two flagship charging stations on the E17 motorway in Belgium, serving around 26 million vehicles annually in both directions. The “Gentbrugge” sites mark the company’s largest facilities so far.
Each side of the motorway features 16 drive-through fast chargers for electric cars, delivering up to 400 kW under Fastned’s signature solar tree canopies, along with two dedicated fast-charging points for electric trucks. Additional amenities include a large restaurant, a 24/7 self-service shop, clean toilets developed with One Hundred Restrooms, with whom Fastned signed an agreement earlier this year, hot showers, outdoor picnic tables and a family playground set in landscaped surroundings.
Fastned opened its first motorway service station in Belgium last year. The company highlights Gentbrugge as its most sustainable project so far – and not just in Belgium. The 8,000 m² sites operate entirely on renewable electricity, with both the charging facilities and the buildings designed for future disassembly and reuse. Construction materials included biobased insulation, recycled concrete and shell limestone. A bespoke underground water treatment system preserves the local environment, while green roofs capture and reuse rainwater, partly for toilet flushing. The area, formerly a car park, has been replanted with trees and flowers to provide a natural buffer from the motorway.
“Fastned Gentbrugge is a proud flagship for our network in Belgium, bringing us close to 50 stations across the nation – and serving as a blueprint for how rest areas should look whether in Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels,” said Matthias Pletinckx, Country Director Belgium. “With EV sales in 2025 up 25% year on year, we are building the long-term infrastructure to offer Belgian drivers impeccable charging, the best amenities and environments, and an experience they look forward to every time they stop for a break on their journey.”
Michiel Langezaal, co-founder and CEO, added: “EV drivers today are too often forced to go from one place to another to get their needs met – reliable fast charging, good food, fresh coffee, comfortable restrooms and a place to relax. Fastned Gentbrugge is about showing that we can answer all these needs in one place within a beautiful, sustainable and human-focused environment. EV sales are rising once again in Europe and Fastned Gentbrugge is raising the bar for the best customer experience on the road.”
Gentbrugge is the 47th Fastned station in Belgium and brings the network to more than 380 sites across nine countries. The company plans to expand to 50 locations in Belgium and over 400 in Europe by the end of 2025, with a long-term target of 1,000 stations by 2030.
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