1600 km in an electric car did not last long
Seven years ago, when the network of charging stations for electric cars was much rarer not only in Lithuania, but also in neighboring countries, a well-known Lithuanian businessman Vladas Laš suggested to drive his brand new Tesla Model XP 100D from the Tesla factory in Tilburg (Netherlands).
I doubted for a moment: 1600 km by electric car? Will it be convenient not only to charge the electric car, but also to find a place to eat or stay near the charging points? How much time will we waste?
Nowadays, such questions would no longer arise, but in 2017 we have had an incredible experience of seeing the growth of the network of fast charging stations in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany. And what places are chosen for stops.
We covered those 1,600 km without any trouble. And not only because Tesla’s battery allowed it to run 300-400 km in freeway mode without any trouble. What matters most is what my fellow passengers and I did while we charged the battery. Most of the time, we didn’t have lunch/dinner anywhere, but in restaurants just a few steps away from the stops.
Conveniently placed stops save time
It must be recognized that both in the mentioned countries and in Scandinavia (especially in Finland, which is a leader in the development of fast charging stations), EV fast charging stations (eng. Supercharger) are arranged extremely conveniently.
Those who want to conveniently shop while charging their batteries can do so in huge shopping centers near highways or city bypasses.
Those who want to eat deliciously can choose stops near restaurants – usually even several. Both well-known global chains and small family restaurants. That’s why EV owners both enjoy a delicious meal and save time.
In recent times, there has been an obvious breakthrough in Lithuania. Charging stations (most of them Supercharger type) sprout one after the other. Both on highways and motorways, and in cities.
I dare to say that soon a tradition will be formed to stop at these stops not only for electricity. After all, a business (restaurants or shops) is guaranteed a flow of customers in this way. This means that the range of services will expand and even competition will emerge to attract electric car travelers.
Lithuania takes an excellent example from experienced Western European and Scandinavian countries.
Head of the Electric Vehicle Network Development Department at Ignitis Andrius Šeršniovas says the company has surveyed electric car drivers about what annoys them the most.
First and foremost, it’s annoying if it’s hard to find free seats. It is important that they are easy to find. Secondly, that they are easily accessible (so that you don’t have to ride on wheels). The third nuance is to spend as little time as possible charging as much energy as is needed.
“Ignitis” photo/Andrius Šeršniovas
That’s why we build fast, not slow, charging stations at shopping centers – so that the time a person spends (usually 20-30 minutes) in a store, or longer in a restaurant or hair salon, can be effectively used to charge the electric car’s battery. And that charge would be enough to travel on a daily city route for a whole week.
To illustrate that Lithuania takes an excellent example from experienced Western European and Scandinavian countries, I suggest you look at two popular places in Lithuania where Ignitis fast charging stations operate. These are the NØRDIKA shopping valley near the Vilnius airport (with shopping centers, restaurants and cafes) and the Hesburger restaurant chain.
The stops at NØRDIKA are very popular
The Ignitis ON electric car charging station at the shopping valley NØRDIKA can charge an electric car with a power of up to 150 kW. So 30 minutes is enough to charge the battery up to 80%. and more. This fast charging station has two connectors – CCS and CHADEMO. And for those who are not in a hurry, there is also a slow charging station 2 x 22 kW with TYPE2 connectors.
“The stations are suitable for all models of electric cars produced for the markets of European countries,” says Andrius Šeršniovas, head of the electric car network development department at Ignitis.
Jurgita VirsilienėNØRDIKA Asset Manager explained that the construction of EV stations was a strategic goal as the company promotes sustainability.
“Ignitis” stations came to us because they were able to offer the highest loading capacity at the time. We have mutually successful cooperation with Ignitis. The currently built EV stations are already fully loaded, so together with “Ignitis” we have the goal of both expanding the charging points and increasing their power”, J. Viršilienė shares her plans.
What is the business benefit?
“We can see from the reviews that electric car drivers very often choose NØRDIKA precisely because of convenient and fast charging. EV stops in the NØRDIKA shopping valley are located in a highly visible location, it is very convenient to drive up, park and charge, there is no need to look for anything extra, go around. Clear, simple, convenient and fast – probably the “horse” that encourages you to come to this particular place.
In addition, charging your car in the shopping valley NØRDIKA allows you to make meaningful use of your time: shopping for essential food, household, leisure, sports, children’s goods, as well as drinking coffee with dessert or simply having a delicious lunch. A double benefit that saves time for the driver”, says J. Viršilienė.
An EV charging station for every Hesburger
Ieva SalmelaHesburger’s director of international development, says that every Hesburger restaurant must also have a fast charging station for electric cars, wherever possible.
“It’s a win-win for all of us, including for our customers.” When a person arrives, he can charge the battery of the electric car and eat in the meantime, thus saving his time. So far, fewer electric cars arrive than conventional cars.
We believe that charging points for electric cars will become part of the daily life of drivers.
But we believe that the situation will change as the Lithuanian car market changes. It will grow, so we believe that charging points for electric cars will become part of the daily life of drivers. And this will be useful for our business”, says Ieva Salmela.
Lukas Balandis/BNS photo/Ieva Salmela
Currently, in cooperation between Ignitis and Hesburger, 17 charging stations with 34 charging points for electric cars have been installed at the restaurants of this chain in Lithuania.
“Our long-term goal is to install charging stations everywhere, wherever possible, in every country where we operate,” concluded Hesburger International Development Director I. Salmela.
“eMovement” festival – August 22.
We will discuss this and other topics about electric cars in more detail in Vilnius, at the “eJudejimo” festival on August 22.
Not so long ago, electric cars were the props of fantasy films, and now more and more of them are rolling on the roads of our country. It is true that there are still a lot of myths about such vehicles and many drivers wonder if it is worth driving them at all. Vilnius residents and guests of the city will soon be invited to an exclusive event – the “eMovement” festival – to find out how it really is.
News portal 15min and the “eMovement” festival organized by “Ignitis” will take place on August 22.
During the festival, electric car users will share their experiences, economists will calculate whether an electric car pays off, and experts, car testers and famous people will discuss the practicality and environmental friendliness of this type of transport.
Understand instantly
- What? eMovement Festival
- When? August 22, from 1 p.m.
- Where? Lukiškiau Square, Vilnius
- More information by clicking – HERE
Those interested will find useful information about support measures that can be used, as well as advice on what is important to know when buying a new electric car.
So that everything does not remain only in languages, when you come to the event, you will be able to see a whole bunch of electric cars from different manufacturers in one place. There will also be an opportunity to chat live with the representatives who sell them and arrange test drives.
We can already say that at the event you will see not only the most affordable electric cars, priced from 20 thousand euros, but also real “bombs” that develop as much as 650 horsepower and reach a hundred kilometers in 3.4 seconds!
#electric #car #drivers #eat #tastier #shop #conveniently #Business
2024-08-10 06:22:00
