Gentbrugge (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A large fast-charging hub has opened in Gentbrugge on the E17, with 16 car chargers and 4 truck points, serving up to 1,000 vehicles daily, says Fastned’s Matthias Pletinkx.
As VRT News reported, a large fast-charging station has opened in Gentbrugge, a municipality of Ghent, in the province of East Flanders, Belgium, on both sides of the E17 motorway. Work on the 2 sites began last year and has now been completed.
Together, they can handle up to 1,000 electric cars each day. Each station is equipped with 8 chargers, so 16 cars can be charged at the same time. The devices supply 400 kW and can recharge most batteries in a short time.
How will the new Gentbrugge EV hub on the E17 shape Belgium’s charging network?
The site is also built for freight transport. 4 Charging points are set aside for electric trucks. The operator, Fastned, says the project answers the growing demand for charging capacity. According to spokesperson Matthias Pletinkx, only 5% of Belgian cars are electric today, but by 2030 the share is expected to rise to 25%.
New highway service zones are only for electric vehicles and no longer provide petrol or diesel. There are showers, restrooms, a shop, and a restaurant. Picnic tables and a playground have also been placed outside. The total surface of the site is 8,000 square meters.
Authorities link the project to the wider shift in transport policy. Most service zones in Belgium still rely on fossil fuels, with only limited charging capacity. In the next concession rounds, the government plans to expand this model of all-electric zones. Dozens of service areas will be renovated in the coming years.
Belgium has expanded its charging network quickly in recent years to follow the growth of electric mobility. Federal figures show the country had about 30,000 public charging points in 2024, compared with fewer than 10,000 in 2020. Flanders has set a goal of 35,000 chargers by 2025 and more than 100,000 by 2030. The first motorway service areas built only for electric vehicles opened in 2023.
