• Germany-wide charging infrastructure for electric vehicles  • Largest charging station network in the German food trade  Lidl is investing in the nationwide expansion of electromobility: within one year, around 400 Lidl branches will be equipped with charging stations for electric vehicles, where customers can refuel electricity from renewable energies. This will make Lidl the operator of the largest e-shop network in the German food retail sector as well as a driver for innovation and climate protection. “In order to advance the mobility turnaround in Germany, we must take away from people the concern of a limited range. Therefore, the nationwide expansion of our charging infrastructure is a decisive factor for the success of electric vehicles and an investment in the mobility of tomorrow, “explains Wolf Tiedemann, Director Central Services at Lidl Germany.  Rollout already started Currently, customers at Lidl branches and employees in Lidl logistics centers have access to about 30 charging stations for electric vehicles, while about 20 additional pillars are currently being installed at branches throughout Germany. The speed of expansion will increase significantly Lidl: From now on, new buildings are mandatory equipped with an e-charging station and also in the course of modernization, branches receive a charging station. In the long term, as many locations as possible will be equipped with at least two charging points. In addition, Lidl will be opening additional charging stations at additional branches near the motorway as well as in rural areas. In this way, the maximum distance between two Lidl charging columns is significantly reduced. “With this step we are able to condense our charging network in Germany so that the maximum distance between two Lidl charging stations is 50 kilometers. On average, it will even be under 20 kilometers, “says Tiedemann.  Smart charging point mix For the expansion of the electrical charging infrastructure, Lidl relies on an intelligent mix of AC and DC charging points in various power classes up to 50 kilowatts – high-performance DC systems are used near the motorway. Depending on the location and type of vehicle, e-vehicle users can, for example, increase the range of their vehicle by up to 200 kilometers during a 30-minute shopping period in the adjacent Lidl store. The electricity that can be used at the Lidl-E charging stations comes from renewable sources.