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By Gianluca Lo Nostro
PARIS (Reuters) -Four of Europe's biggest electric vehicle charging firms said on Wednesday they were teaming up to create the largest public charging network on the continent.
Italy's Atlante, Germany's Ionity, the Netherlands' Fastned and France's Electra will create a new alliance called Spark aimed at sharing their networks.
It will comprise 11,000 charging points and 1,700 charging stations across 25 European countries.
That is more stations than main rival Tesla, according to the alliance. However, British motorist journalist and founder of EV lobby group FairCharge Quentin Wilson said the U.S. company still had the edge thanks to its "simple no-nonsense interface with the consumer".
Starting from June, customers in Europe will be able to access and pay through any Spark Alliance member app for ultra-fast charging up to 400 kW.
European auto lobby ACEA has been pressing for a faster rollout of charging infrastructure to reassure consumers worried about driving ranges and boost demand for EVs.
The announcement comes at a time of flagging demand for EVs, and as the EU waters down its emissions regulations.
According to the European Commission, 3.5 million charging points will need to be installed by 2030 - almost three times the latest annual installation rate.
However, the EU targets are not a realistic roadmap, said Electra CEO Aurelien de Meaux, who believes that quality matters more than quantity.
Matching Tesla is not a top priority for the alliance, the members said, but their new network may boost competition.
"The fact that there is another big network focusing on quality, providing infrastructure at scale to EV drivers is important for Tesla. It's really complementary," Langezaal said.
Tesla could also be considered for the alliance, according to de Meaux.
"They could qualify because they offer a fast and reliable charging experience but I think that's more a question for tomorrow," he said.
(Additional reporting by Gilles GuillaumeEditing by Mark Potter)
