How did I get to know Fastned? It must have been about ten years ago. Volkswagen had released the e-Up. He was in Leusden, I lived in Drenthe. As you know, you didn’t get far with the first generation of plug-in cars. “We’ll bring him to you,” said the friendly people from Pon. “Don’t think about it,” I said, “I’ll come get him.”
Stupid. The gross capacity of the Volkswagen battery was 18.7 kWh, the stated range was 160 kilometers. Theoretically I should be able to make it. The distance Norg-Leusden was 156 kilometers. Back then we still believed in fairy tales, or the wish was the father of the thought.
I did need a safety net. Couldn’t I top up a bit along the way just to be safe? That was possible. Halfway there was actually one of the first Fastned stations, near Zwolle, just a short detour via the A50. I managed to get those few extra kilometers back at the pole near Wezep.
The Upje just made it. The salary was free electricity, because the company was in the pilot phase. I have repressed how long I waited. Long. Thanks to the trucks, I just managed the second stage to Norg, 95 kilometers, on one charge. Fortunately the weather was beautiful. Despite the discomfort, it was one of the more enjoyable rides of my life. I felt like an explorer on the threshold of a new time.
For years to come, the Fastned charging points remained a kind of post-hippie paradise early adopters. It didn’t seem like much and in a skeptical mood you didn’t give a cent for that company, but you met nice adventurers who simply drove to France with their first Leaf. They then plugged it into the socket at the campsite and did not lose sleep over 48-hour charging sessions. They went for a walk anyway.
In the first years of the energy transition, which were not easy for EVs, I read Fastned’s press releases about the rapidly increasing turnover with amused skepticism.
Yes, yes, I thought. From three to five cars a week, that’s how I can grow. Apart from the birds of paradise, it was mainly very empty at the charging points. Normal people refueled.
But then it really started. The profit hunters started leasing Teslas and plug-in Koreans. Demand exploded. Now there are Fastned charging points from Montpellier to Scotland. I stand at the Dutch stations with my i3 among the leasing people who drove a Ford Mondeo ten years ago. Thanks to Fastned, I could travel across the Netherlands with the first e-Up without any worries, if I had enough time. And I sometimes have to wait my turn at the Fastned fast chargers even in Groningen, it’s so busy. That crazy experiment by a typical Dutch startup, which was treated condescendingly by the usual suspects, has become the cornerstone of the plug community in more than ten years.
Now everyone will probably start complaining about the charging rates again. I will deliberately leave that out of consideration here. I just want to express my admiration for the pioneering spirit and steadfastness of the founding fathers. Credit where credit is due. Châpeau, boys and girls from Fastned, I can help you.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl