Episode 55 – How ORLEN Is Scaling Its EV Charging Network

From Fuel Retailer to Integrated Energy and Mobility Provider

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Scaling an EV charging network is not simply a matter of installing more chargers. As the number of locations grows, so does the complexity of site selection, grid connections, commissioning, technical integration and day-to-day operations.

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ORLEN operates approximately 3,500 service stations across seven European countries, including around 600 locations in Germany. The company is transforming from a traditional fuel retailer into an integrated energy and mobility provider, with EV charging as a central pillar of its long-term strategy.

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In this episode of the Charge Point Podcast, host Christophe Lephilibert speaks with Marvin Bechtel, Head of E-Mobility at ORLEN Germany. They explore how ORLEN is scaling its public EV charging network across Germany and Eastern Europe—and what changes when a Charge Point Operator moves from individual charging projects to hundreds of charging points.

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The conversation covers the importance of selecting the right charging locations, navigating grid constraints and Distribution System Operator requirements, and establishing standardised processes that can be replicated across sites. Marvin also explains why ORLEN selected the FLEXBOX to create a common technical foundation, simplify commissioning and support a more scalable operational model.

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Looking ahead, Christophe and Marvin discuss battery energy storage systems, solar integration, dynamic pricing and intelligent load management. They also examine why charging speed alone will become less of a competitive differentiator—and why convenience, reliability, transparent pricing and customer experience will increasingly determine which CPOs succeed.

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What You Will Learn in This Episode

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This episode gives Charge Point Operators, fuel retailers, charging-infrastructure developers and energy professionals a practical view of what it takes to build and operate a scalable EV charging network.

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Key learnings include:

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• How ORLEN is transforming from a traditional fuel retailer into an integrated energy and mobility provider
• Why charging-site selection remains fundamental to utilisation, profitability and network performance
• What becomes operationally difficult when a CPO scales from a handful of chargers to hundreds of charging points
• How standardisation and FLEXBOX can simplify DSO integration, commissioning, training and charging-site deployment
• How load management and battery energy storage systems can support sites with limited grid capacity
• Why convenience, reliability and customer experience—not charging speed alone—will differentiate successful CPOs