Don’t worry about charging. The infrastructure for electric cars is ready to go.
The network of charging stations is growing
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The gas station of tomorrow
“Infrastructure” – what a complicated word. All that really means to motorists is roads, parking lots and gas stations. The same is true for electro-mobility. And things are getting simpler all the time. If the high-power-network IONITY is in operation, charging a car will be almost as fast as filling it up.
100 million euros is quite a bit of money. But it’s only a third of what the German government alone is spending on the creation of a nationwide charging infrastructure for electric cars. It represents the second installment of subsidies for public charging stations.
The EU subsidizes the expansion of the charging infrastructure with 800 million euros in an effort to create 800,000 new charging points by 2020.
Electric dream car of 2020 – the VW ID. CROZZ.
Already, there are 7500 charging points in Germany.
In Germany, anyone installing a publicly accessible charging station is eligible to receive funds from the state. Up to 30,000 euros for a fast charging point with at least 100 kW of power and 3,000 euros for a standard charging point. Mind you, other incentives provided by EU-countries to facilitate the transitions to electric cars, like bonuses for the purchase of such vehicles or tax exemptions, come from different sources.
The government offers many incentives
So, politicians are serious about electro-mobility. As a person potentially interested in this field, you can be sure that you are investing in a booming future. There are many charging stations already, at least in metro areas. In Germany alone, there are now about 7,500 public charging points. And there are a lot of reasons, why this number should grow.
Apart from the financial incentives now offered to owners of electric cars in Europe, there should be quite a few additional ones in the future. New laws are being passed, benefitting electric cars in everyday life. There are special parking rights on public roads, parking fee exemptions as well as special access rights.
In some places, electric cars are already permitted to use bus lanes. There is a growing number of electric-only parking spaces. Low-emission zones are a no-brainer for electric car owners, as are driving bans. However, the biggest advantage of electric cars in crowded cities would have to be parking spaces at charging points, which are free while your car is hooked up.
Free parking for electric cars during charging.
In the EU, fast charging points are fitted with a CCS-plug.
The Plug Question has been answered
Those who are still afraid that they might not be able to charge their car at any charging station in Europe can now relax. Car manufacturers have agreed on a standard system. In Europe, this standard is called the type-2 plug. It uses three-phase AC and can deliver up to 22 kW of power at private charging points and up to 43 kW at public charging stations.
For even more power, as provided by fast charging stations, the type-2 plug features two additional power contacts for DC. This combination plug is called CCS (combined charging system). By combining AC and DC power, the charging capacity can be increased to up to 170 kW. So, if your navigation system guides you to one of these stations, the charging point will be equipped with that standard plug. For the purpose of illustration, a fast charging point can recharge a VW e-Golf with its 35.8 kWh battery while the driver enjoys a cup of coffee.
And very soon, it will be possible to charge electric cars with twice that power. Together with other manufacturers, the Volkswagen group founded the IONITY joint venture. The aim of this brand is the creation of a network of reliable and powerful charging stations along the main European thoroughfares. IONITY charging points offer up to 350 kW of power, leading to extremely short loading times and convenient operation. The time difference between charging a car and filling it up keeps shrinking.
Charging Points at Home and at the Office
In urban areas, charging points keep sprouting up like mushrooms in fall. But what’s it’s like in the country? Some communities have started installing charging points at supermarkets and public buildings. However, outside of the cities, most people have their own home.
The best solution for home owners is a permanently installed charging device, called a wall-box. It can charge ten times faster than a conventional power outlet and usually costs less than a thousand euros to buy. Since many employers also think about installing charging stations for electric vehicles, an electric car would be the best choice for commuters as well.
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