Swiss Post and the fenaco cooperative are planning the joint venture PowerUp.
The two companies have signed the contracts to this effect. The goal of PowerUp is to offer a nationwide fast charging network for electric vehicles. The service will be available to customers at around 50 locations from mid-2025 and will then gradually be expanded to 300 locations. PowerUp uses Swiss electricity from renewable energy sources. It is a service for the whole of Switzerland and contributes towards the Confederation’s electromobility roadmap. The founding of the joint venture still has to be approved by the competition authorities.
Swiss Post and the fenaco association intend to found the joint venture PowerUp, with a participation of 50 percent each. Together, they will create a nationwide fast charging network for electric vehicles. The two companies have signed the contracts to this effect. The service will be available for private customers and companies from mid-2025 – subject to approval by the competition authorities. At launch, the network will consist of around 50 locations. By 2030, the joint venture partners aim to expand PowerUp to 300 locations with a total of 1,500 charging points. The charging stations will be located at Swiss Post branches, AGROLA petrol stations and LANDI stores, as well as other sites.
100 percent Swiss electricity from renewable energy sources
The special feature of the PowerUp network is the close proximity of its fast charging stations to workplaces, shopping facilities or leisure activities. Combining the network with other services guarantees a secure and well-maintained charging infrastructure with contact people available on-site. PowerUp also has a simple pricing structure with no hidden costs. Users can pay with common payment methods such as TWINT and credit cards or with a customer card. Anyone who charges at PowerUp will purchase 100 percent renewable electricity from Switzerland. A significant portion of the power is in fact generated directly on-site by in-house solar panels, with local microgrids playing a vital role. These local energy systems use a battery storage unit to store excess solar energy until it is required. The fenaco-LANDI Group and Swiss Post also want to invest in infrastructure of this kind. Ultimately, electromobility cannot function unless a stable and sustainable local energy supply is guaranteed.
Joint commitment for Switzerland
The Confederation’s electromobility roadmap (in German) aims for a significant increase in the number of publicly accessible charging stations. By founding the joint venture, the two companies are reinforcing their commitment to this initiative at the annual electromobility event organized by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy and the Swiss Federal Roads Office. Swiss Post aims to be carbon neutral in its in-house operations from 2030. To achieve this, it is systematically converting its vehicles to alternative drive systems and investing in charging infrastructure. During the contract signing, Swiss Post CEO Roberto Cirillo said: “At present, there is already good coverage of fast charging stations along main arteries.
The charging networks from Swiss Post and fenaco-LANDI Group will now bring charging options for electric vehicles to villages, towns and rural areas. I am delighted that PowerUp will provide a new service for the whole of Switzerland and make a significant contribution to the Confederation’s electromobility roadmap.” Martin Keller, CEO of fenaco, added: “In 2018, AGROLA opened its first fast charging station at a LANDI branch. Since then, we have continued to expand our network, enabling us to bring sustainable mobility to the countryside. Thanks to this partnership with Swiss Post, we can accelerate its expansion and make the network even more attractive. This will ensure that electromobility is appealing even to drivers without a charging option at home.”
Source: Swiss Post