Electric stations: Rede Graal wants to install dozens of units on the country’s main highways | Electric Planet

During longer trips, it is a habit for Brazilians to stop at restaurants on the side of the highways to fill up the car and eat. It’s a coming and going of consumers 24 hours a day. Establishments want to take advantage of this uninterrupted movement to also serve electric vehicle owners.

In this sense, an important investment is coming from Grail Network, one of the largest groups of bus stations in Brazil. It disbursed R$15 million to acquire 74 pieces of equipment from WEG, ABB and BYD. The value also includes the infrastructure works necessary to install the stations.

“The chargers will be implemented in 37 of Graal’s 52 units. In September, 24 will be in operation and the other 13 will be ready by the end of the year”, reveals Nivaldo Ary Nogueira Jr., expansion manager at Rede Graal.

The remaining 15 spaces at Graal are currently being occupied by a partnership with EDP Brasil, a company in the energy sector, which ends in November. “But, for now, there is no plan to install electric stations in these stores”, he states.

The stations will be placed on highways in the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. The first to receive the charging point was Graal Turmalina, at km 158 of Rodovia Anhanguera, in the city of Cordeirópolis (SP).

Read too: Actions increase the number of charging stations and create a subscription program for recharging

Charging three cars at the same time

He says that in each unit it will be possible to recharge three vehicles at the same time. There are two CCS2 connectors in ultra-fast mode (DC), 120 kW and a semi-fast (AC) Type 2 model, 22 kW.

AC should be used mainly by cars with plug-in hybrid propulsion. The influx of many urban cargo vehicles, so-called VUCs, used for delivering orders on shorter routes is also expected.

In both types of connectors, Graal uses the digital platform and operations and maintenance services from Move, an electric mobility solutions company.

“The equipment is capable of refueling fully electric vehicles in around 30 minutes, compared to more than four or five hours with traditional chargers”, says Nogueira. “The customer stays in our spaces for 20 to 40 minutes, enough time to wait for a refill while eating a meal or drinking a coffee.”

According to the executive, Graal adopted the strategy of not purchasing equipment from a single supplier. “ABB is one of the main brands in the world, while the national WEG has a very strong reputation in the country. And we also opted for some BYD devices”, he says.

The Graal Network areas will not need major interventions to accommodate the charging stations. Nogueira highlights that only 10 units received an increase in energy input to meet the demand for supply to vehicles. “The growing sales of electric cars in Brazil require robust infrastructure in the electrical grid”, he emphasizes.

Previous experience

The recharge price defined by Rede Graal for the user is R$2.20 per kilowatt-hour for DC chargers and R$1.60 for AC chargers. There is also a fee of R$2 for each connection. “We researched the amounts charged by other companies and positioned ourselves in the same range”, he guarantees. 

The owner of an electrified car can now download the EletroGraal app on their smartphone, register to see, among other information, where the charging points are and monitor the history of operations. 

This is not the first time that Rede Graal has been involved in an action focused on electromobility. In 2015, she participated in the creation of the unprecedented intercity corridor between São Paulo and Campinas, in a partnership with CPFL Energia.

The pioneering spirit resulted in the installation of charging stations on the Anhanguera (km 67, São Paulo lane – interior) and Bandeirantes (km 56, interior lane – São Paulo) highways. “The project had a beginning, middle and end and we evaluated the experience as positive, which allowed us to give us more basis to invest now in charging stations”, he explains.  

For Nogueira, the large chains of filling stations and restaurants located on highways present an excellent opportunity to join the expansion of Brazilian electromobility. “However, I am unaware of anyone who has invested such a significant amount to provide the areas with adequate infrastructure,” he states.

Company also plans structure for CNG

About to turn 50 years old in September, Rede Graal has always had innovation in its DNA, especially in matters related to energy and sustainability, according to expansion manager Nivaldo Ary Nogueira Jr.

The project to install charging stations is not the company’s only initiative in the field of mobility. Graal is also committed to implementing equipment to supply heavy trucks with natural gas (CNG).

“We have nine gas supply areas, all on highways. Five of them have high-flow dispensers and, in 2024, two more are planned to be opened”, says Nogueira.

Thus, to fill the trucks’ eight gas cylinders, each with a capacity of 25 m3, the driver will wait approximately 12 to 15 minutes, the same time as the operation carried out with the 800 to 1,000 liter diesel tank. The advantage is that CNG emits 20% less carbon dioxide (CO2) and is cheaper for transport companies.

“Manufacturers are investing in the production of gas-powered vehicles. Scania, for example, already has more than a thousand units operating in the country. Even so, there is still no established supply network”, he highlights. “We want to help create this infrastructure.”

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Author: Dante Grecco