Public Electric Vehicle Charging Solutions

The All Electric Society is progressing. Despite ongoing discussions that might cast doubt on this fact, Germany is likely to meet its wind power targets. Although subsidies for electric cars have (unfortunately) stopped, we see more electric vehicles on the streets every day. Having that in mind, I would like to share a very nice charging project at Brussels airport. Together with our partner Interparking, we faced a growing challenge: As the number of electric vehicles increases, so does the demand for charging infrastructure. But how do you efficiently manage 674 charging points without overloading the grid or incurring high costs due to peak loads? Our answer to this challenge is MINT, the intelligent charging management system. Built on the open automation ecosystem PLCnext Technology, it ensures that energy is distributed exactly when and where it’s needed—aligned with grid capacity and demand. This not only prevents costly peak loads and power outages but also optimizes overall energy consumption. At the same time, it enables: 🔄 More vehicles to be charged – Maximizing the utilization of the available charging infrastructure. ⚡ Prioritization of green energy – Ensuring that renewable energy sources are used whenever possible. 🔒 Grid stability without peak loads – Preventing overloads and ensuring a reliable energy supply. And the team is still working to make this project even more efficient. Together, Interparking will soon be able to shift charging sessions to more efficient periods throughout the day. This way, the charging infrastructure can accommodate even more vehicles while ensure optimal energy usage. Looking ahead, there is one thing I'm sure of: Coordinated charging management will play a crucial role in the coming years. Cities, businesses, and infrastructure operators can use smarter energy solutions to reduce costs, enhance sustainability, and improve urban living. We believe in shaping a more livable and sustainable future through innovation. The energy transition brings its challenges, but it also offers tremendous opportunities - What do you think? Let me know if you have any questions about this applications in the comments below. #ChargingTechnology #RenewableEnergy #Sustainability #GreenTech #EnergyEfficiency

Do we have enough public charge points in the UK? With the negativity often quoted about EVs, one assumption seems to be continually raised - we don't have enough public charge points to support the growth of EVs. However, there are many inputs that need be considered to evaluate this. Latest stats in the UK show that we have 70,434 public chargers, giving 103,593 charging connectors. This is a 32% increase in numbers since December 2023 and a 41% increase YoY since September 2023. With 1,250,000 EVs in the UK, that equates to around 12 EVs per public charge point. Of note, the ratio for petrol/diesel cars to fuel pumps in the UK is around 230:1. But this is just the public charge points, and negates all the home and workplace chargers, estimated to be around 850,000 and 58,000 chargers respectively. Around 81% of EV drivers do most or all of their charging at home or at work, which considerably reduces the public EV to charge point ratio, effectively freeing up more chargers to use. But we also need to consider - do we have the right mix of chargers in the public arena? If the industry went for pure numbers to maximise the number of public sockets in the UK, the easiest option would be to simply install the lower powered 7kW charge points, which will take several hours to fully charge an EV. But in some scenarios, such as at motorway services, these would take far too long to charge an EV. The industry could make all the sockets the more powerful 350kW charger, which may take 20 minutes to fully recharge, but these are more expensive and much more complex to install, and would you want to pay a higher charging cost to use these if you intended to be parked up for several hours? Also consider the throughput. A lower power 7kW charger will mean EVs are connected to the unit for longer, which means we may need more chargers. Conversely, a higher power charger charges quicker, meaning more EVs can use it per hour compared to the 7kW point, and so fewer charge points are required. Ideally, the figure should be a mix of public chargers of various powers to cater for a whole range of scenarios that EV drivers will face. We also need to consider that there are the right charge points in the right locations (motorway versus on street parking), and that there are sufficient charge points in key 'hot spot' locations to avoid long queues. A particularly important point is that all the charge points also need to be working, which seems to be a key point that the media hone in on when promoting negativity towards the EV charging network, and a driver has found several consecutive charge points all apparently not working. In such a scenario, one does have to question if it is actually the EV or driver at fault. Whilst the UK currently and arguably has the right ratio of EVs to public EV chargers, it becomes a fine balancing act to ensure that the industry installs the right chargers at the right locations at the right time. Thoughts?

Organising tenders for public EV charging infrastructure is a key tool for public authorities - national, regional and local - to shape the EV charging network needed to enable their citizens to switch to electric private or shared cars and vans. As part of the European Commission's Sustainable Transport Forum sub-group on best practices by public authorities to support the deployment of charging infrastructure, we've produced this new updated guide. Getting EV charging right - both in terms of planned locations and the ability of users to charge flexibly - is a key objective for public authorities, especially as grids increasingly appear to be a bottleneck in the wider energy transition. Concession agreements can be used as a tool to channel and direct (future) charging demand to areas with sufficient capacity or where grid upgrades are feasible or planned. Passing on dynamic energy prices and the benefits of DSO-led local flexibility programmes to end users will not only reduce their bills, but also deliver wider societal benefits - a key reason to get it right. (For more on this topic, also see Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP)'s short public authorities smart charging guide by Dr. Julia Hildermeier and me: https://lnkd.in/gEtUd_XX) Using concessions as a tool, public authorities can ensure that public EV charging takes place in locations: ⚡ where grid capacity is available 👐 expanding access and improve accessibility ☀️ can be co-hosted with renewable energy generation 🚃 align with multimodal transit, parking vision As EVs mature, public charging network deployment may progress through stages: one after another: 📍 Strategic 🕸️ Coverage-based 📈 Usage-based Ensuring that chargers facilitate the ability of users to integrate their electric vehicles into the energy system (AFIR, Article 15.3) is another aspect that public authorities can address in a tender. Similarly, these tender requirements should include requirements for energy efficiency, modularity and upgradeability to extend the technical life of the charging infrastructure. Public authorities can also speed up the roll-out of public charging and reduce costs for all parties involved by coordinating with their local DSO at all stages. By forecasting and properly modelling (flexible) EV charging demand, the necessary (anticipatory) investments can be made as needed. Pre-approval and pre-application for grid connections before / during a tendering process can significantly speed up the actual deployment by selected charging point operators. One-step approaches, where the grounding and other civil works for the grid connection by the DSO, the installation of the charging point by the operator and the right parking / signage by the public authority are all combined in one go, are a proven way to save time and the scarce resource of skilled labour needed in the energy transition.

I joined AMPECO because of what I saw (or didn’t see) in San Francisco when I last car-shopped - any viable option for residential charging. Residential charging at the older multi-family dwelling (MFD) where I park was unlikely due to required ADA upgrades, public charging for non-Teslas at the time was sparse, and curbside was nonexistent. Several promising companies are trying to change this perception. Some of them arise from a very similar story to mine, albeit born in Brooklyn rather than San Francisco. Voltpost, which turns lampposts into charging stations (see story linked in comments), is one example that will soon be an option to EV drivers in both cities. Pilot projects in my area, in NYC, and in other EV-friendly territories including Illinois and Connecticut will retrofit existing street lighting with a wraparound system and charging cable. It’s an unobtrusive solution, compared to dedicated charging posts, and can also be mounted higher up the post, out of sight (and out of reach from vandalism), with the recently announced Voltpost Air product line. it's electric is another contender, one that adds street furniture while removing the potentially vulnerable charging cable. The driver keeps one with them, using a bring-your-own-cord model already familiar to European drivers, and simply plugs into the it’s electric post/socket solution when they park. Early installations in Boston, NYC, and Detroit are all promising, with the company also part of San Francisco’s curbside plans. I haven’t checked out their units on Hermann St yet, but it’s on my SF visit list. Other options found out in the wild include small-footprint streetside charging posts, like those from FLO EV Charging in NYC and Kempower in Knoxville, and pole-mounted chargers much like the Voltpost Air, which have been deployed in Los Angeles, Seattle, and a handful of other urban areas. The common thread between most of these solutions? They’re all still in the pilot phase. While promising, none have yet been deployed at scale in the US. But the demand is clear, especially in cities like New York, San Francisco, and other metro areas where space is limited and EV adoption is high (or growing). For New York City, the response to a pilot involving just over 100 Flo street chargers is a resounding “more, please”. City officials initially expected utilization in the 15-20% range. In the four years of the program, including a one-year extension optioned by NYCDOT, utilization has climbed to more than 70% in consecutive quarters. For residents in the areas hosting these chargers, a majority felt positive about the new amenity and suggested an increased likelihood of purchasing or leasing an electric vehicle.  Once permitting delays and stakeholder conflicts are addressed, curbside options like Voltpost et al offer an elegant, effective solution for those of us lacking an electrified parking spot.

Chicken and Egg Story in #EVs: What Comes First – Vehicles or Charging Infrastructure? In India’s EV transition, the debate often comes down to EV adoption vs charging infrastructure. The reality is clear: charging must come first. That’s why the Ministry Of Heavy Industries (MHI) has released comprehensive guidelines to accelerate charging infrastructure across India. Targeted Deployment: Focus on high-density cities (population >1 million), smart cities, satellite towns, and major national/state highways. About 72,300 EV chargers for cars, two wheelers, buses and trucks. Grid Coverage: In cities, at least one charging station in every 3km × 3km grid; on highways, one every 25 km, plus long-range EV chargers every 100 km. Subsidies: Rs 2000 crore support for chargers in government buildings like offices, hospitals, educational institutions, private establishments, including malls, metro stations, airports, railway stations, Way side amenities, toll plazas and any other locations as determined by State/ UT governments. Delicensed Activity: Declared a delicensed activity under MoP rules, simplifying entry for private operators. Technical Standards: Mandatory compliance with Ministry of Power standards to ensure interoperability. Data Reporting: Real-time data to be mapped on the EV Yatra portal. Land Provision: Public land allocated for charging stations via revenue-sharing models. Demand Aggregation: States, Central Ministries, and CPSEs will aggregate demand for EV chargers and submit proposals to MHI. Implementation: #BHEL is designated as the nodal agency for rolling out the scheme. Unified National Hub: To be developed in partnership with NPCI, serving as a one-stop platform for payments, access, and user convenience. By embedding these measures, India is ensuring infrastructure leads the way—breaking the adoption bottleneck, boosting consumer confidence, and building a strong public-private ecosystem for clean mobility. Charging first, adoption follows. This is how we power an Atmanirbhar Bharat on the road to a sustainable, future-ready EV sector. Details at https://lnkd.in/gbD__8Qx #EV #ChargingInfrastructure Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited National Payments Corporation Of India (NPCI) #GreenMobility #SustainableFuture

Electric Vehicles are a big part of New Zealand's future, but we need more public EV chargers around the country (we have fewer public chargers per EV than many other countries in the OECD). This morning in the Hutt Simon Watts and I announced we're accelerating the roll-out around the country. The Government is targeting 10,000 by 2030, so that there will be one public charge point to around 40 EVs. This will remove people’s ‘range anxiety’ and make owning an EV as easy as possible. The Government is moving to a more sophisticated, commercial procurement model for EV chargers. We have set aside up to $68.5 million in currently held grant funding, to provide concessionary loans to private operators to co-invest in public EV charging infrastructure. Loans will be quicker to implement and will help achieve the Government’s objectives with less complexity, cost and risk. This is similar to the highly successful Ultra-Fast Broadband model, and the same government agency (National Infrastructure Funding and Financing Limited) will be running the process. Concessionary loans will bring forward private investment in public EV charging infrastructure by lowering the cost of capital. They will also provide better value for money by maximising private sector investment while keeping the taxpayers’ contribution to a minimum. Loans will be awarded through contestable co-investment rounds, and applications will be open to proposals to establish portfolios of public EV charging sites (i.e. multiple charging locations). This is the best way to support scaled-up development and to maximise competitive tension between providers.

Designing for Experience What makes a public EV charging site great—not just functional? That’s the question Dora Vagner and her team set out to answer. They went deep: analyzing Monta’s top-performing locations, running surveys, going on-site to talk to real EV drivers, and reviewing global best practices across the industry. Then they compiled it into a practical playbook. Here’s what we learned: 🚘 A charging station is no longer just hardware—it's a brand moment. 📍 Findability, flow, parking, and plug-in ease can make or break trust. 🧑🦽 Accessibility isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a baseline. 🧾 Clear labeling and pricing transparency drive repeat use. ☕ And yes—good coffee and clean restrooms do matter. The result? A framework for public charging that’s not only operationally smart, but built around how people actually charge. Download links in comment

The New York Times captured what many in the industry have been working toward: an EV charging ecosystem that puts customers first. Leading OEMs treat charging as a full-stack customer experience: 1. Home Charging = Empowerment: Level 2 chargers, solar bundles, and home energy tools give drivers control and enable participation in the energy economy—from the garage. 2. Public Charging = Confidence: 800V architectures enable 10–80% charging in under 20 minutes. But it must also be accessible, reliable, and located at real-world destinations—grocery stores, cafés, and more. 3. Compatibility = Freedom: Supporting CCS and NACS (native or adapter-based) is essential. Interoperability ensures customers can charge wherever they go. 4. Vehicles as Energy Assets: EVs won’t just drive—they’ll stabilize the grid, power homes, and generate savings. V2G and V2H will make vehicles part of the energy ecosystem. 5. Charging Gets Personal: With integrated payments, OTA updates, and driver profiles, charging becomes tailored to each user’s lifestyle. When the #EV charging user experience is designed right, it becomes a reason to go electric—not a barrier. https://lnkd.in/gx-_rbNu