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VW, BMW, Ford to Set Up Charging Network to Spur E-Car Demand

  • Venture to include Ford as partner in battery-charging sites
  • Automakers plan first stations on European highways in 2017
A charging plug sits next to a VW badge cover.

A charging plug sits next to a VW badge cover.

Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg
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Volkswagen AG, BMW AG and Ford Motor Co. plan to set up a European network for speedy charging of electric-car batteries as the auto manufacturers seek to overcome customer resistance to the vehicles.

The partnership, which will also include Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler AG, aims to establish “thousands” of stations along European highways by 2020, the automakers said Tuesday in a statement. With an initial target of about 400 sites, the group plans to start the rollout in 2017, deploying technology that will be “significantly faster” than current setups.