Total has received a contract to install and operate as many as 20,000 new public charging points in the Netherlands for electric vehicles

The French oil and gas giant is growing its electric mobility business as part of its foray into cleaner fuels and power generation as European governments introduce more stringent rules on car emissions, which could curb demand for gasoline and diesel fuel sold by Total and its rivals.

The contract for the new charging network — set to be Europe’s largest — will span the three provinces of North-Holland, Flevoland and Utrecht and service 3.2 million people, the French company said in a statement.

The move is a “significant and unprecedented step towards sustainable mobility,” Total head of marketing and services Alexis Vovk said in the statement. And is in line with the company’s ambition to operate 150,000 charging points in Europe by 2025 to “become a major player in the electricity mobility business.”

Under the contract signed with Metropolitan Region Amsterdam Electric, Total, which already operates more than 4,500 charging points in the region, pledged to use only renewable power to supply the new network, and will study new solar power production opportunities in the area.

Via Automotive News