The Corsican network e-Motum opened a station with 18 fast chargers in late 2024 in an underground car park in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, described as one of the largest in Europe. In Madrid, the operator Electra inaugurated in September 2026 a station with 26 points reaching 600 kW, presented as the most powerful in Europe in an urban setting.
Key takeaways
What the sources say
According to the specialist press, the e-Motum station is located on the ground floor of the building at 36-38 rue Friant, in the 14th arrondissement of Paris. Opened in late 2024, it occupies 2,000 m² in an underground car park and is the first continental site of the Corsican network e-Motum, a subsidiary of the Filippi group. The group also owns the 100% electric ride-hailing rental agency E-Lutetia, present in Paris and Nice. The hub was launched for its driver customers, although it is open to everyone without a subscription.
The electrical infrastructure described by relies on a connected power of 3,200 kW, obtained through a direct connection to the 20 kV high-voltage Enedis grid running under the street. The connection uses two separate circuits, each linked to a private HTA/LV transformer of 1,600 kVA, for a total of 3,200 kVA. According to the Legrand catalogue cited by the source, this transformer model is sold at €174,500 excluding tax. The two machines, housed in a ground-floor room, are cooled by four air conditioners and step the 20 kV down to 400 V. The current is then carried through busbar trunking fixed to the ceiling to the 18 Autel Maxicharger DC chargers, sold at around €40,000 excluding tax each, with a circuit breaker upstream of each one.
Fire safety, approved by the fire brigade and the Paris police prefecture, includes a large sprinkler system fed by a double underground connection to the Eau de Paris network, with a buffer tank supplied by two different networks. Jean-Bernard Guidi, technical director of the Filippi group, explains that if one network is cut, a backup supply is always available, including on the electrical side. Next to each charger is an extinguisher suited to lithium battery fires at €640 excluding tax per unit, supplemented by fire blankets, a fire-retardant sprayed ceiling, smoke extraction fans and a certified guard posted permanently. The site offers a waiting room with a lounge, television, coffee machine, toilets and showers, and is guarded 24 hours a day with a paid valet service.
On pricing, the source bevolt.com indicates that the public can charge at €0.75/kWh with direct payment by bank card, €0.66/kWh via a mobility operator such as Chargemap, and €0.49/kWh with a subscription at €10 per month. Prepaid packages from 30,000 to 200,000 kWh are available for heavy users, and ride-hailing drivers who are E-Lutetia customers get unlimited access included in their subscription, which is the station's business model. The exact amount of the investment has not been disclosed, but Jean-Bernard Guidi estimates it at "several million euros". Two years after commissioning, the network plans to open a second station of the same kind in Nice.
Regarding Madrid, the Auto Plus article describes the Electra station in the Carabanchel district, inaugurated in September 2026, which brings together 26 ultra-fast charging points with power of up to 600 kW. The operator states that a vehicle can regain most of its range there in about 10 minutes, and that the architecture allows 22 passenger cars and 4 utility vehicles to charge simultaneously. Located near the A-42 and M-40 roads, it operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Electra invested €3M in this concession from the City of Madrid, equipped with a 100 kWp photovoltaic canopy combined with an energy storage system, which according to the group would avoid about 1,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year. The station aims for an availability rate of 98.6% in 2025 thanks to real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance. Aurélien de Meaux, CEO of Electra, presents this site as a European showcase and a model for future high-power urban stations in France intended for taxis, ride-hailing vehicles and utility vehicles.
Finally, sources journalauto.com and describe the creation of an alliance between four European operators. According to Journal Auto, Ionity, Electra, Atlante and Fastned formed the Spark Alliance, officially launched in June 2025, giving access to more than 1,700 stations in 25 countries representing more than 11,000 ultra-fast charging points. According to the IONITY press release, this collaboration, named ChargeLeague and made official on 2 April 2025 at the Cercle de l'Union Interalliée in Paris, allows drivers to charge and pay at any member station using their usual app, with simple and transparent pricing, all stations being powered by 100% renewable energy.
Where the sources agree or differ
Sources bevolt.com and use different criteria to qualify the "largest" covered urban station. Source bevolt.com presents the Paris station as "one of the largest in Europe" in terms of number of chargers (18) and total connected power (3,200 kW), while source autoplus.fr designates the Madrid station as "the most powerful in Europe in an urban setting" by referring to the maximum power per charging point (600 kW). The two sources nonetheless agree on the technical complexity and high cost of such installations in city centres: high-voltage connection and private transformers in Paris, an investment of €3M and energy storage in Madrid. Sources journalauto.com and describe the same alliance of networks under two names (Spark Alliance and ChargeLeague) with identical figures (1,700 stations, 11,000 points, 25 countries), but differ on the official launch date: June 2025 according to, 2 April 2025 according to.
Sources
This article was written from the sources above.