Currently, there are eighty charging stations for electric cars in Prague. 12 of them are fast charging and can charge an electric car in 30 minutes. The city will build 59 new charging stations because long lines form daily at the current ones.
Prague is far behind in the number of charging stations for electric cars in comparison with other European metropolises. There are 1800 charging stations in Amsterdam, and Vienna has over 450 charging stations.
The magistrate will likely sign off on building 59 new charging stations. Nine of them – slow-charging ones – should serve drivers on park-and-ride parking lots. Fifty fast chargers will be placed infrequently visited locations.
“The number of electric cars is skyrocketing, and it is a trend we want to support. Naturally, the most important thing is to make sure that Prague has a sufficient infrastructure of charging stations,” says mayor Adriana Krnáčová (from the political party ANO).
Charging Stations Will Be All Over Prague.
Petr Vomáčka from The Central Automotive Club of the Czech Republic (ÚAMK) claims that the current charging station network can’t accommodate the growing number of drivers with electric cars. “For example, there are often long lines of electric cars at the recently opened charging station in Jarov,” he says. According to him, by 2050, nearly ninety percent of vehicles in Prague could be alternative fuel vehicles.
The Facts
80 charging stations for electric cars are located in Prague.
59 new charging stations are to be built in Prague by 2019.
1800 charging stations are located in the comparable Amsterdam.
The location of fast-charging stations must be carefully considered to make sure it is convenient for the owners of electric vehicles. “It makes sense to build them close to shopping malls, in the city centre or close to some main roads,” says Vomáčka.
The Magistrate has also mentioned that areas close to hospitals or government offices might be appropriate locations. The first sixteen charging stations should open in the spring of 2018. All 59 of the charging stations should be running in the second half of 2019.
Drivers Will Charge Their Cars With Keychains
From the material approved by the Prague councilmen, it can be assumed that Prague will build the basic infrastructure for the charging panels for 27.7 million CZK. The infrastructure will stay in the city’s possession, but it will be rented out to companies that focus on charging stations for electric cars.
That means companies like PRE or ČEZ will be able to apply for the job. “We would definitely consider an offer like that,” says Martin Schreier, a ČEZ spokesman. ČEZ is currently running twenty-five charging stations in the Czech capital, eight of which are fast-charging ones.
“All you need to charge your car is a chip keychain with a code. The customer puts the keychain to a display at any of our network of charging stations and charges without limitation. The service costs 450 CZK a month. We are working on providing more payment options, including a one-time payment option. They should be available soon,” adds Schreier.
Charging stations operated by PRE charge 30 CZK every three months for an access card. Every Kilowatt-hour then costs 2.5 CZK plus tax.
Charging Electric Cars Will Be Possible At Smart Light Poles
There will be ten additional charging locations in Karlín, where the Magistrate plans on placing five smart light poles. Besides being able to provide Wi-Fi signal and changing the light intensity, these lights can also charge electric cars. The magistrate has planned for the first smart light poles to start operating in late November / early December.
Owners of electric cars in Prague already have an advantage over regular car users in paid parking zones. For a one-time payment of 100 CZK, electric cars can park in any parking zone without limitation, whether they are residents of that zone or not. The city also wants to support the electromobility of its public transport, for example, by increasing the number of electric buses in the Prague Public Transport Company. The company will also be testing electric buses with so-called dynamic charging in the winter; the buses will go from Palmovka to Letňany.
Overhead contact lines are being built for them between Libeň and Prosek. They will serve as short-term chargers and will charge the electric buses through systems on their roofs. The vehicles will also be charged during operations breaks on the Palmovka balloon loop.
“During the testing operation on the 10-kilometre trail between Palmovka and Letňany, we want to test out the available technical solution with minimum necessary expenses,” says Martin Gillar, the general manager of The Prague Public Transport Company.
However, the magistrate specialist on cycling development Sylva Švihelová points out that focusing solely on electromobility is not ideal. “Electric vehicles solve the emission issue, but they are still an environmental burden because of the necessary batteries and their durability. Moreover, they take up public space just like combustion engine vehicles, so it doesn’t solve the city’s problem with traffic and full streets,” she says.
