25 January 2022
Mobility organization Touring and smart mobility service provider Be-Mobile launched a route planner for electric cars this week. Users of the Touring website and application can generate a realistic route that takes into account available charging stations and stopping times. Touring has been offering a route planner that takes into account the current traffic situation on their website for a long time, but is now expanding it to respond to the further electrification of vehicles.
In May 2021, the federal government decided that all companies in Belgium must have a fully electrified vehicle fleet starting in 2026. In addition, several car manufacturers declared they would stop developing new internal combustion engines and focus entirely on electric motors. However, research by Be-Mobile showed that drivers of electric cars suffer from "range anxiety" or the fear that they will not be able to complete a long trip on their current battery charge due to external circumstances, such as traffic jams, bad weather or a queue at electric charging stations.
To address these concerns, the route planner shows where the driver can stop and whether there are any charging stations available. Particularly innovative is the fact that it estimates whether the charging station will be available when the driver arrives based on current availability and historical data. Icons are also used to indicate which leisure facilities in the area can be used while the car is being charged. Touring and Be-Mobile hope that with the adapted route planner they can continue to support their customers and facilitate the switch to electric travel.
"Taking care of personal mobility in all its forms, that is Touring's DNA. Now that electric driving has started to take off, Touring is helping to remove the last obstacles. An extensive network of charging stations is of course a must, but with this smart route planner we are going a step further to increase the ease and security of charging, thus giving consumers confidence. Being able to put Be-Mobile's smart technology and rich data processing at the disposal of our Touring members and every car user is a great proof that electric driving is becoming more accessible day by day."
- Bruno de Thibault, CEO of Touring
About Touring
As the first assistance organization in Belgium in the field of breakdown assistance (1948) and travel assistance (1958) at domestic and foreign level, Touring is among the most experienced players on the Belgian market. Over the years, Touring has strengthened its market position and evolved from the largest motorist association to the most important mobility organization in the country. Today, Touring has more than 2,800,000 members/road users and 450,000 families with travel assistance who can count on medical, technical and personal assistance around the clock, 7 days a week, as well as specialized advice in broad mobility issues.
The Domestic Assistance Centre has 105 employees and handles more than 680,000 calls from motorists, motorcyclists and cyclists with breakdowns each year. In Belgium, Touring has about 200 vehicles on the road for roadside assistance and breakdown services.
