How Does Beny Elevate EV Mobility at Spain's Top 10 Airport, Valencia Airport?

As global concern over climate change continues to rise, the adoption rate of Electric Vehicles (EV) in Spain is rapidly increasing. Airports, as transportation hubs, are actively seeking and implementing new business models to meet the current trends in transportation. Against this backdrop, Valencia Airport in Spain has partnered with Beny to construct a charging station featuring both AC and DC EV chargers, attracting widespread attention. The project includes 4 DC fast EV chargers and 80 AC EV chargers, providing convenient charging services for travelers at the airport. The successful implementation of this project has injected new vitality into the airport’s operations and taken an important step forward in promoting electric mobility in Spain.

What are the details of the project?

Location: Valencia, Spain. Situated in this beautiful city, Valencia Airport enjoys a unique geographical location and excellent transportation conditions.

Products: The airport has installed 4 DC chargers, model Beny BADC82-D, and 80 AC chargers, model Beny BCPC-D2N-P. The installation of these chargers provides users with diversified charging options, catering to both rapid energy replenishment and long-term parking charging needs.

Outcomes: The installation, testing, and operation of the charging station proceeded smoothly, with chargers distributed in different locations of the airport parking lot, ensuring that users can easily find charging facilities while parking. This not only enhances the airport’s service level but also positively contributes to eco-friendly travel.

What do we know about the Airport?

Valencia Airport is located in the eastern Spanish city of Valencia, approximately 8 kilometers from the city center, occupying an area of 9328 square meters. It is one of the major international airports in the country. As an important aviation hub, Valencia Airport carries significant traffic and logistical functions. According to the latest data from Aena, in 2023, Valencia Airport had approximately 9.95 million passenger flows, 82,000 aircraft movements, and 13.65 million tons of cargo throughput, ranking among the top ten busiest airports in Spain. The large passenger flow implies a growing demand for parking and charging facilities, especially with the popularity of electric vehicles. This provides an important direction for the airport’s development. To meet the growing EV user base, the airport management decided to upgrade the charging facilities to improve service levels and meet user demands.

Why is there a need for charging?

With the popularity of electric vehicles, an increasing number of people are choosing them for commuting or traveling. Whether for convenience, cost savings, or flexibility, customers have different reasons for choosing to park at the airport and charge their vehicles. Depending on the length of parking time, airport parking can generally be divided into the following types:

Long-time parking: Usually chosen by passengers for business trips or travel, requiring parking at the airport for an extended period, such as 1-3 days or even half a month to a month.

Short-time parking: Usually chosen by passengers to drop off or pick up friends or family traveling by plane, or for airport visitors, with parking times typically around 1-2 hours.

Other durations: Airport staff also need parking, typically during working hours.

What solutions does Beny provide and how do they fulfill user demands?

In response to the requirements of the Valencia Airport project, the Beny team conducted detailed discussions with airport officials. Ultimately, customized and diversified EV charging solutions were provided based on specific needs and site conditions, combined with different types of parking user groups:

Long-time parking:

Requirements: For users who need to park at the airport for several days or even half a month, charging speed is not the primary concern; instead, remote control and management are more important. Considering that the airport parking lot is a commercial venue, the utilization and investment cost of the space will also be crucial.

Solutions: The Beny BCPC-D2N-P charger features dual sockets with two charging guns, capable of charging two vehicles simultaneously, maximizing space utilization while reducing the construction cost of the charging station. Each charging gun provides a charging power of 7.4 kW, fully meeting the needs of long-term parking users. Additionally, its compatibility with the OCPP1.6J protocol allows users to control the charger remotely. They can check the charging status and control the charger anytime, anywhere through the mobile app. It is worth mentioning that these chargers are equipped with a series of protection functions to collectively enhance charging safety, allowing users to charge with peace of mind even when away from home.

Short-time parking:

Requirements: For users who only stay at the airport for 1 to 2 hours, rapid power replenishment is the primary requirement. For the airport, how to use limited space and resources to serve more users, as well as the convenience of maintenance, is a top priority.

Solutions: The Beny BADC82-D floor-mounted DC fast charger features a charging power of 82 kW, capable of quickly replenishing 444 kW of mileage in one hour. It is equipped with three charging guns to simultaneously charge three vehicles, allowing users to charge without waiting and fully utilizing the site’s resources. The charger features intelligent charging technology, automatically recognizing various vehicle models and their specific charging power requirements. Outstanding heat dissipation performance and multiple protection functions ensure the safety and reliability of the charging process, enhancing the user experience. Additionally, the modular structure of the Beny BADC82-D makes installation and maintenance more convenient, reducing the airport’s subsequent maintenance costs. It also supports payment methods such as PayPal and offline transactions, providing users with a more convenient, secure, and flexible payment experience.

Other durations:

Requirements: Varies according to circumstances.

Solutions: For airport staff, if the range is sufficient, they can choose AC chargers for slow power replenishment; but if the situation is the opposite, they can choose DC chargers for rapid power replenishment, mainly based on their actual needs.

What achievements have been accomplished?

The implementation of this project has provided convenient charging services for electric vehicle users at Valencia Airport, effectively alleviating the pressure of insufficient charging stations and promoting green travel.

Improving the service: The deployment of 84 Beny EV chargers has added 172 charging points to the airport, significantly enhancing the airport’s service capacity, improving service quality, and increasing the airport’s competitive advantage.

Meeting diverse needs: These EV chargers provide diversified charging power and modes, catering to the needs of different users and enhancing user experience.

Exploring a new model: The airport has transitioned from traditional parking lot operation to a new business model. The installation of charging stations has increased the utilization rate of airport parking spaces while also expanding the revenue, generating income not only from parking fees but also from charging fees.

Promoting green travel: The popularization of charging stations encourages more passengers to choose electric vehicles for travel, reducing carbon emissions and contributing to environmental protection.

Conclusion

After the operation of the charging station at Valencia Airport, users who frequently travel by plane commented, “My home is far from the airport, and I used to have range anxiety when driving here. Now that the airport has installed charging stations, I drive here every time, and my car is fully charged when I return from my business trips. Sometimes, I can also use the fast chargers to charge my car when I’m dropping off family members at the airport, which is very convenient.”

This project is a huge success, which satisfies user needs, promotes sustainable development, enhances company image, and most importantly, provides valuable experience and insights for similar projects in the future. As the electric vehicle industry continues to develop, Beny will continue to partner with more enterprises, constantly introducing high-quality products and services and providing users worldwide with more convenient and efficient charging experiences.