Press Releases

• APCOA to roll out its EV Mobility activities with Blue Corner EV Charging solutions in Belgium
• Turnkey solution includes all services related to installation, operation, maintenance, and customer service

APCOA PARKING (APCOA), Europe's leading parking operator with 1.8 million parking spaces at over 12,000 locations in 13 countries, signed a four-year contract with Blue Corner for the management of EV chargers at APCOA's premium parking sites in Belgium.

Blue Corner will equally provide training and other logistical and maintenance services that will support the long-term availability of its EV charging points at APCOA.

"APCOA is committed to innovative technologies and sustainable practices to offer the highest quality parking management. Through our digital platform, APCOA FLOW we connect parking lots with consumers and their vehicles. Blue Corner is an ideal partner for us. Their focus on advanced EV technology combined with their knowledge of customers' EV parking behaviour, serves as a perfect match for APCOA in Belgium", says Luc Verduyckt, Managing Director at APCOA PARKING Belgium.

"As part of the Blink Charging Group, Blue Corner is at the vanguard in the global shift to EV mobility in Europe as an end-to-end provider and a key enabler," adds Verduyckt. "By connecting parking, mobility and services for urban life, APCOA is positioned to be an integral part of the digital and physical urban ecosystem."

"We are delighted to support professional parking operators like APCOA to build their EV charging network - and make a positive contribution towards a greener future in Europe," Olivier Van Schap, Managing Director Blue Corner said.

APCOA will implement a turnkey solution, including all services related to installation, operation, maintenance, and customer service for its Belgian market.

Picture, f.l.t.r.:
Olivier Van Schap, Managing Director, Blue Corner
Luc Verduyckt, Managing Director, APCOA PARKING Belgium
Anthony Poschet, Segment Manager Public Charging, Blue Corner

• More than 100 fast charging hubs in heart of urban centres across Europe
• Integrated bp pulse and APCOA app to facilitate seamless parking & charging experience for customers
• Berlin and Bremen planned as first Urban Hubs to offer 24/7 access to ultra-fast charging

bp pulse, one of the leading rapid and ultra-fast public EV charging networks in the UK and APCOA Parking Group, the UK's leading provider of tailored parking solutions with an established presence in Europe, have signed a strategic pan-European frame agreement to open more than 100 EV fast charging hubs across Europe.

Under the agreement, bp pulse plans to install ultra-fast charging at APCOA car parks -'Urban Hubs' - in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Poland and the UK over the next three years to help expand its charging network in city centres and further accelerate urban e-mobility infrastructure throughout Europe.

The project is part of APCOA's plans to transform its car parks into Urban Hubs which will provide physical and digital infrastructure for mobility, logistics, e-charging and technology based services.

The two companies aim to work together to provide a convenient customer journey through digital integration of the bp pulse and 'APCOA Connect' app in the UK and 'APCOA Flow' app in Europe. Registered users will be able to locate, access, book and pay for their charging and parking at the car park from their mobile, and the car park's entry and exit barriers will open automatically as the vehicle approaches.

Two Urban Hubs in Berlin and Bremen in Germany are expected to open in the third quarter of 2023. These will be the first locations to offer ultra-fast charging which can charge a minimum of six cars, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and will be operated by Aral pulse, bp's German brand. To make the most of downtime whilst charging, some of the hubs will also offer a 'driver lounge' including a vending offer of hot and cold drinks, seating areas with phone charging points, free Wi-Fi and restrooms will be available.

With the incoming ban on ICE vehicles across Europe in 2035, alongside measures to equip up to 30% of public parking spaces with charging facilities for electric cars, bp pulse and APCOA's Urban Hubs will offer one solution in well-lit city-centre parking where available land is often scarce.

Stefan von Dobschuetz, General Manager Europe, bp pulse said: "This agreement will help us to build our EV charging network across Europe by offering customers the fastest and most convenient EV hub charging experience. By working with APCOA, we're bringing the future of parking, charging and services for urban life in one place."

Philippe Op de Beeck, CEO, APCOA said: "Working with bp pulse is another step to achieve our plan to deploy 1,000 fast-charging stations through commercial partners in APCOA's car parks. Doing so, we are providing customers added services in our locations and make a relevant contribution to the transformation of individual mobility."

• Bosch to make driverless parking available in 15 further APCOA parking garages across Germany.
• Gradual, large-scale market launch of the Bosch system is planned in several hundred parking garages worldwide.
• Bosch to initially install the infrastructure technology in four parking spaces per parking garage.
• The APCOA FLOW platform enables contactless and cashless parking without a ticket.

Now that automated valet parking has been approved for commercial use in the P6 parking garage at Stuttgart airport, Bosch and APCOA are branching out and installing the technology in 15 further parking garages in Germany. From Hamburg to Munich, work to expand the infrastructure-based, automated, and driverless SAE Level 4 parking system is set to start in 2023. As a first step, Bosch and APCOA are planning to make up to four parking spaces per parking garage ready for automated valet parking. "We will expand the number of such parking spaces based on the expected ramp-up of vehicles featuring automated valet parking. Our experience with charge spots for electric vehicles shows us how important it is for infrastructure growth to keep pace with the technology. Together with our partner APCOA, we are now making sure that this will be the case for automated valet parking," says Dr. Markus Heyn, member of the Bosch board of management and chairman of the Mobility Solutions business sector. In the years ahead, Bosch's modular system will allow the number of parking spaces featuring the infrastructure technology to be quickly expanded to up to 200 parking bays at each of the 15 locations.

Start of the worldwide market launch of automated valet parking
The master agreement now signed by Bosch and APCOA is the first step toward a worldwide market launch. The goal is to equip several hundred parking garages across the globe with automated valet parking in the years ahead. "Germany is only the beginning - we're expecting to soon be able to gradually roll out automated valet parking in other countries around the world as well, once the corresponding laws have been passed," says Claudia Barthle, who heads up global software and service sales in the Cross-Domain Computing Solutions division at Bosch and is responsible for the partnership with APCOA. Germany is one of the few countries to have already passed the Level 4 legislation that creates a framework for systems such as automated valet parking. Other countries, such as France, are poised to follow.

"With the automated valet parking solution, we can offer our parking customers a whole new level of convenience. This function is especially advantageous at locations where time is an issue, such as airports, concert halls, event locations, and trade fair locations. In other words, our location at Stuttgart airport is only the beginning," says Frank van der Sant, a member of the board of management and chief commercial officer of APCOA PARKING Group. Automated valet parking will soon be available in selected parking garages in cities such as Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt, and Munich. Further parking garages in Europe are set to follow.

Smart interaction of infrastructure and vehicle technology
Automated valet parking is the wave of the future: gone are the days of time-consuming searches for parking spaces, irksome maneuvering, and the risk of dents and scratches. The driver simply parks the vehicle in a handover zone near the entrance of a parking garage, and uses an app to start the highly automated and driverless parking service. The basis for this is Bosch stereo cameras, which not only identify vacant parking spaces but also monitor the driving aisle and its surroundings, and reliably detect obstacles or people in the aisle. If an unexpected obstacle is detected, the vehicle brakes and safely comes to a complete stop. Only once the route is clear does it continue on its way. For this purpose, all the data generated by the cameras is fed into edge computers. Smart algorithms transmit the driving maneuver to be made and thus enable driverless parking - even when moving between stories on narrow ramps. The distinctive feature of this solution is that the smart technology installed in the parking garage keeps the technical requirements in the vehicle to a minimum, so that the automated and driverless valet parking service lends itself to all vehicle classes.

Thanks to APCOA's FLOW platform, this service is not only driverless but also ticketless and cashless. Drivers are already using the eponymous app to help lighten the burden of parking. This ranges from making firm reservations for a parking space, to contactless entry into the parking garage - now, conveniently, via license plate recognition - and to fully automated payment, invoicing, and contactless exit. The system recognizes the customer's vehicle or the license plate, and the barriers open automatically, making a ticket and trip to the ticket machine redundant. APCOA manages approximately 1.8 million individual parking spaces at over 12,000 locations in 13 European countries. By increasing the availability of driverless and highly automated valet parking services, the same amount of space could accommodate up to 20 percent more vehicles in the future. In addition, driverless parking is especially suitable for narrow, remote, and therefore unattractive parking areas.

World's first approved highly automated parking system (SAE Level 4)
Automated valet parking has developed by leaps and bounds. In mid-2017, Bosch and Mercedes-Benz presented the solution to the general public as part of a pilot project in the parking garage of the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. Only two years later, the partners obtained the world's first special permit to operate automated valet parking using selected vehicles without a safety driver in the actual traffic conditions found in parking garages. The next milestone came at the end of 2020, when Bosch, Mercedes-Benz, and APCOA made the highly automated and driverless parking service available at Stuttgart airport, where they worked on the Level 4 system's first commercial use. Automated valet parking in the P6 parking garage at Stuttgart airport recently became the world's first highly automated driverless (SAE Level 4) parking function to be given official approval for commercial use in Germany - a world-first for the commercial use of this driverless parking system. This function is available in Germany, initially in the P6 parking garage at Stuttgart airport, for certain S-Class and EQS variants featuring the INTELLIGENT PARK PILOT.

• Automated Valet Parking is the world's first highly automated driverless (SAE Level 4)¹ parking function to be given official approval for commercial use in Germany.
• The highly automated and driverless parking system collects and returns the vehicle completely independently.
• Function available soon for certain S-Class and EQS² variants equipped with INTELLIGENT PARK PILOT, initially at P6 parking garage at Stuttgart Airport, Germany.
• APCOA's P6 parking garage at Stuttgart Airport will be the first in the world to enable commercial use of the driverless parking system.
• Drivers can use the APCOA FLOW digital mobility platform for reservations, contactless entry and exit, and cashless payment.

Bosch and Mercedes-Benz have reached an important milestone on the way to automated driving: Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) has approved their highly automated parking system for use in the P6 parking garage run by APCOA at Stuttgart Airport. This makes it the world's first highly automated driverless parking function to SAE Level 41 to be officially approved for commercial use. The technological advancement of automated driving plays a key role in the mobility of the future. With the vehicle and infrastructure taking over driving and maneuvering, drivers will be able to turn their attention to other things, instead of time spent looking for a parking space and maneuvering in tight parking garages.

"The world's first approval for customer use of our highly automated and driverless parking function, developed together with our technology partner Bosch, shows that innovation leadership and 'Made in Germany' go hand in hand," says Markus Schäfer, member of the board of management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, chief technology officer, responsible for development and procurement. "Following the market launch of our DRIVE PILOT Level 3 system, we will soon be offering a Level 4 system for parking with our INTELLIGENT PARK PILOT - all of that this year. We really are showing our customers how technology can make life easier and give back precious time."

"Driverless parking is a key aspect of automated mobility. The highly automated parking system we developed together with our partner Mercedes-Benz shows just how far we've already progressed along this development path. It will be with driverless parking that everyday automated driving will start," says Dr. Markus Heyn, member of the Bosch board of management and chairman of the Mobility Solutions business sector. "From the outset, Bosch has taken the approach of making the infrastructure in parking garages intelligent. Accordingly, we have set standards in this area. In the future, our aim is to equip more and more parking garages with the necessary infrastructure technology - we plan to do several hundred of them worldwide in the next few years."

"We are extremely pleased to have successfully developed a connected system for driverless and contactless parking together with our partners from Bosch, Mercedes-Benz, and Stuttgart Airport. Our digital platform, APCOA FLOW, can be used to book spaces, for contactless access to the parking garage, and for automatic invoicing of the stay in the garage," says Frank van der Sant, a member of the board of management and chief commercial officer of APCOA PARKING Group. "For our customers, this means a huge gain in convenience: planning certainty, hardly any wasted time, short distances to walk, and a contactless and cashless parking process."

"We are proud that STR has been chosen as the airport for this global premiere," says Walter Schoefer, management spokesperson for Flughafen Stuttgart GmbH, which runs Stuttgart Airport. "The project shows how innovative our region is. Automated Valet Parking really enhances our flight passengers' comfort and convenience and saves them time, especially when they're in a hurry and just want to drop their car off quickly at the airport."

The technology behind driverless parking
Drive in to the parking garage, get out, and send the vehicle to a parking space just by tapping in a smartphone app - the Automated Valet Parking service has no need for a driver. Once the driver has left the parking garage - to spend the time just saved on doing something else - the vehicle drives itself to its assigned space and parks. Later, the vehicle returns to the pick-up point in exactly the same way. This process relies on the interplay between the intelligent infrastructure supplied by Bosch and installed in the parking garage and Mercedes-Benz automotive technology. Bosch sensors in the parking garage monitor the driving corridor and its surroundings and provide the information needed to guide the vehicle. The technology in the vehicle converts the information it receives from the infrastructure into driving maneuvers. This way, vehicles can even drive themselves up and down ramps to move between stories in the parking garage. If the infrastructure sensors detect an obstacle, the vehicle brakes and safely comes to a complete stop. Only once the route is clear does it continue on its way.

It was in 2019 that Bosch and Mercedes-Benz obtained the world's first special permit to operate Automated Valet Parking using development vehicles without human oversight in everyday operations of the parking garage of the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. The approval that has now been issued goes beyond this, allowing commercial operation with privately owned vehicles in the P6 parking garage at Stuttgart Airport. The basis for the approval is a law that came into force in Germany in July 2021, which permits driverless driving in accordance with SAE Level 4¹ for motor vehicles (BMDV - Germany will be the world leader in autonomous driving). Application of this law to the parking system was implemented in close coordination with the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) and the KBA. The AFGBV (autonomous driving directive), passed by the upper chamber of the German parliament on May 20, 2022, clearly specifies the criteria of the German road traffic act that Level 4 vehicles must satisfy.

The companies plan to gradually roll out the driverless parking service in the APCOA P6 parking garage at Stuttgart Airport. From the day it is released for operation, the first customers with S-Class and EQS models built since July 2022 whose vehicle variants feature the INTELLIGENT PARK PILOT2 service as part of Mercedes me connect, and who have activated this service, will be able to use the function at the P6 parking garage. Once drivers have used their Mercedes me app to book a parking space in advance, they can leave their vehicle in a predetermined drop-off area. After all the passengers have exited the vehicle, the app starts the parking maneuver. The parking system checks whether the route to the booked parking space is clear, and that all the other technical requirements have been satisfied. If this is the case, drivers receive a notification in the app confirming that the intelligent infrastructure has taken control of the vehicle. They can then leave the parking garage. The vehicle starts automatically and finds its own way to its parking space. When the driver wishes to retrieve their car from the parking garage, they can summon it via smartphone command. Their vehicle then makes its own way to a predetermined pick-up area.

¹ SAE J3016 defines six levels of automation for road vehicle driving operations (Level 0 to Level 5). Level 4 states: The vehicle can autonomously handle all traffic situations under certain conditions (e.g. in a parking garage). No driver is required.

² The INTELLIGENT PARK PILOT service from Mercedes me connect will initially be available in Germany for the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Saloon, Saloon Long and Mercedes EQS, starting with those built 07.2022 and later. This excludes Mercedes-Maybach and AMG models. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class Saloon and Saloon Long built as of 12.2020, excluding Mercedes-Maybach and AMG models, will follow shortly thereafter. Mercedes EQS models, excluding AMG, built as of 04.2021 will also follow shortly. As soon as INTELLIGENT PARK PILOT is available for a particular vehicle, the service will appear in the services menu of the Mercedes me app, ready for activation. In order to use the Mercedes me connect services, users require a personal Mercedes me ID and must agree to the conditions of use for Mercedes me connect services. Furthermore, the vehicle in question must be registered with the user account. Upon expiration of the initial period, users can extend services free-of-charge as long as those services remain available for that particular vehicle. First activation of services is possible within 1 year of initial vehicle registration or use by the customer, whichever is first.