Wallbox (NYSE: WBX) has launched a Europe-wide charging partnership with Freenow by Lyft that gives more than 180 cities’ worth of taxi drivers and fleet operators discounted access to its home and depot charging hardware. The agreement is already live in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Spain, and covers Wallbox’s Pulsar Max, Pulsar Pro, and eM4 product lines. Freenow, which Lyft acquired last summer, reports that more than 60% of vehicles operating on its European platform are already fully or partially electrified.
Highlights
- Exclusive discounts on Wallbox Pulsar Max for individual drivers and Pulsar Pro plus eM4 for fleet and depot environments
- Live at launch in five markets: Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Spain
- Over 60% of vehicles across Freenow’s network of 180-plus European cities are already BEV or PHEV
- Drivers gain access to Wallbox’s local network of certified installation partners
Partnership Mechanics
The agreement bundles preferential pricing with installation support. Freenow BEV and PHEV drivers operating independently can buy Pulsar Max for home use, while licensed fleet operators get access to Pulsar Pro and the eM4, which Wallbox positions for shared and depot charging environments. The discount applies across the selected portfolio, and Wallbox will route customers to its certified installer network for site assessment and commissioning.
Ignasi Alastuey, Chief Business Officer at Wallbox, said the deal targets the operational realities of professional drivers. “The shift to electric mobility in the taxi sector will depend on making charging simple, accessible and suited to the everyday needs of drivers and fleet operators. At Wallbox, we are focused on helping remove barriers to adoption with charging solutions that are easy to use and designed to support professional mobility. Through this partnership with Freenow, we are making that transition more accessible for drivers across Europe.”
Felix Brand, Chief Strategy Officer at Freenow by Lyft, framed the agreement as part of a broader push to make EV operation viable for the platform’s driver community. “At Freenow, we are committed to supporting drivers and fleet partners in their transition to electric mobility. Working with Wallbox allows us to offer access to charging solutions that are practical, reliable and adapted to the needs of our driver community, helping make electrification a more viable option across our network.”
Where the Deal Sits in Freenow’s Charging Strategy
The Wallbox tie-up is the second major charging partnership Freenow has signed in 2026. Earlier this year, the platform agreed a public-charging deal with Octopus Electroverse covering the same five Wallbox markets plus Italy, Greece, and Poland, with reported UK driver savings of more than 40% a year through Electroverse’s roaming network. The two arrangements address different sides of the operational cost stack: Electroverse cuts the cost of public rapid charging during shifts, while the Wallbox program addresses home and depot hardware, where overnight charging on cheaper tariffs typically delivers the bigger lifetime saving. For ride-hailing and ride-sharing platforms looking at similar driver-focused infrastructure plays, see prior coverage of Bolt’s European premium-EV fleet expansion.
The Freenow deal also extends Wallbox’s pattern of bundling its higher-power commercial hardware — the eM4 and Pulsar Pro — with channel partnerships rather than relying on direct fleet sales. That approach sits alongside the company’s recently announced Supernova PowerRing modular fast-charging system, which targets destination and semi-public sites at up to 400 kW per outlet.
Wallbox’s Prior Lyft Relationship
The companies are not new to each other. In December 2022, Wallbox and Lyft launched a North America–only home-charging program offering Lyft drivers in the U.S. and Canada discounted Level 2 hardware and installation through Wallbox subsidiary COIL. The Freenow agreement extends that template into Europe through Lyft’s newly acquired taxi platform, with a product mix that adds depot-grade hardware on top of the residential Pulsar line.
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