Nissan has announced the kick-off of Fast-E, a European Union- (EU) backed project designed to improve electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure.

Nissan has co-financed this project with the EU and eight other companies, with a total investment of approximately €18 million (Rs 137 crore). The aim of Fast-E is to install a total of 278 charging points 80km apart along Germany and Belgium's main motorways by the end of 2016 – with 241 in Germany and 37 in Belgium.

A sister project in the Czech Republic and Slovakia will add another 30 charging points to the total in Europe.

The multi-standard fast-chargers have AC and DC connections, which can "refuel" an EV, such as the 100 percent electric Nissan Leaf or e-NV200 up to 80 percent within 30 minutes. The added fast chargers will allow EV owners in the four countries to extend the range of their trips, providing greater flexibility and peace of mind.

Fast-E is the latest in a range of projects Nissan has been involved in to help support and encourage the installation and development of EV charging infrastructure across Europe. Only recently, Nissan announced it had partnered with A2A to install 13 public rapid chargers as a gift to Milan following the UEFA Champions League Final.

"Our investment in this project is another demonstration of Nissan's commitment to creating intelligent mobility solutions," said Gareth Dunsmore, director of Electric Vehicles for Nissan Europe. "As well as working on a range of electric vehicles and innovative zero emission technologies, we have also invested heavily in infrastructure, as we see this as an important factor in guaranteeing the accessibility and practicality of electric vehicles. It is fantastic to have the backing of the EU on this project, which should drastically improve the number of EV charging facilities across Germany and Belgium's main motorways."

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