14.6.2018
- The first fast EV charging station opened in Rijeka and the seventh in Zagreb - the charging time is 20 minutes and the usage experience is completely digital
- An increase in the number of EV users in Croatia - in only one year, HT has recorded an increase in use of nearly 400 percent at Puni.hr EV charging system
- Two EV charging stations are part of a project co-financed by the EU which will provide 69 fast and four ultra-fast EV charging stations at 31 locations in corridors across Croatia and Romania
First fast EV charging station in Rijeka
Just before the start of the tourist season, Hrvatski Telekom and Tower Center Rijeka set up the first fast EV charging station in the City of Rijeka as part of the project "Comprehensive fast-charging corridor network in Southeast Europe." With this installation, Rijeka has joined the map of smart cities that promote e-mobility as a key concept of low-carbon mobility.
The first fast EV charging station in Rijeka will provide top-of-the-line charging service for domestic EV users, as well as an increasing number of tourists who come to Croatia on holiday by electric vehicles. The EV charging station located on the roof parking lot of the Tower Center Rijeka can simultaneously charge two cars, with a total of three different connections. The service is available around the clock, seven days a week, free of charge for all electric car users. The charging takes about 20 minutes, the experience of using it is digital and non-stop customer support is also available.
The installation of the first fast EV charging station in the City of Rijeka is a continuation of the project co-funded by the European Union. The project’s plan is to open as many as 69 fast and four ultra-fast EV charging stations at 31 locations in corridors across Croatia and Romania. The project lasts until the end of 2020 and its total value is 4.3 million euros.
The latest analyses and projections by the International Energy Agency estimate that the number of electric vehicles sold will increase to 20 million by 2030, which is twenty times more than the number sold last year. Additionally, by the year 2023, a ten-fold increase in the market value of EV stations from $3 billion to over 30 billion is expected. In this project alone, installation of 16 fast and one ultra-fast EV station is planned for at least six locations.
"There are more and more users of electric vehicles in Croatia, but also tourists who want a fast and accessible charging service for their vehicle wherever they go. Hrvatski Telekom manages more than 50 percent of EV charging stations in Croatia, whose use has increased by 400 percent in the past year alone. This is a confirmation of the value of this project for the future of mobility and the environment,” said Dino Novosel from Hrvatski Telekom.
The largest regional Puni.hr EV charging network currently has 115 EV stations in 72 Croatian cities and provides 155 charging points making more than 50 percent of all publicly available inter-operable EV charging stations in Croatia. Automatic access to EV chargers is possible for more than 60,000 EV users from EU via PlugSurfing mobile app and the SMS center of Hrvatski Telekom. In addition, each Puni.hr EV charger is visible and accessible via the largest eRoaming platform HUBJECT, which combines over 100 EV charging service providers and enables active access to and promotion for EV charging stations to more than 300,000 EV users from the EU area and provides free charging service by the end of June 2018.
The "Comprehensive fast-charging corridor network in Southeast Europe” project is aimed at providing superior user experience through the implementation of an advanced ICT system that will enable geo-locating free chargers, booking outlets, authorization, billing and providing the best customer support.
"In line with the development of new technologies, the Tower Center Rijeka has decided to set up EV chargers and we thus follow the European and global trends of CO2 emission reduction policies, climate change prevention and environmental protection. By installing the EV charging station we provide top-notch additional service to the visitors to the center, domestic users and foreign tourists", said the director Solidea Kurelić from Tower Center Rijeka.
In addition to this EV charging station in Rijeka, in early June, the seventh fast station was launched in the area of the City of Zagreb in front of the HQ of Hrvatski Autoklub at Avenija Dubrovnik. Collaboration with the Hrvatski Autoklub will soon provide additional benefits to all EV users. The first of many is the integration of dynamic data on the status of Puni.hr's charging stations through HAK mobile app.
"Hrvatski autoklub applies modern technologies and is committed to protecting the environment and reducing the emission of harmful gases as a result of road traffic. That is why we have installed a fast EV charging station next to our office in Zagreb for our members, other drivers and foreign tourists” said Slavko Tušek, CEO of HAK.
EV charging station coverage will enable the development of green e-mobility corridors in Central and SE Europe, and is part of a wider global project for connecting countries from South East Europe. The project contributes to the Europe 2020 Strategy goals, particularly in the part defined by the Clean Power for Transport Package. In addition to the traditional workplaces required for the development and maintenance of the charging network, the project encourages employment in the IT system and digital services segment.
As part of the project, new fast EV charging stations will soon be set up at locations in Varaždin, Karlovac, Delnice, Rijeka and Zagreb.
Seventh fast EV charging station openned in Zagreb