Charging stations for municipalities and towns
Over 80% of electric vehicle owners charge their cars primarily at home. Some even charge from their own photovoltaic power plant. However, residents of flats without garages fitted with charging stations have to rely on public charging stations.
The most cost-effective option is slow AC charging. Unlike fast DC charging stations, which are best suited to charging while on the move, AC charging allows you to top up at a far more attractive price.
The advantage of AC charging stations with an output of up to 22 kW is their relatively low price, ease of installation and connection. The availability of slow (overnight) charging in towns is therefore one of the deciding factors when choosing to buy an electric vehicle. For towns, the investment in AC charging stations for their residents and visitors pays off in the form of a cleaner environment.
IONT tech charging stations have an understated, minimalist design that works well as street furniture even in crowded city centres, where it enables charging for residents of older buildings too.
Charging electric vehicles in apartment buildings and new developments
is addressed by the amendment to Building Decree No. 266/2021 Coll., which imposes an obligation to install electrical wiring for electric vehicle charging stations at every parking space in the garages of new and refurbished apartment buildings. This obligation now applies both to new apartment buildings with more than ten parking spaces and to refurbished apartment buildings.
Buildings not intended for residential use must meet similar conditions. Every new building and every alteration of a completed building with more than 10 parking spaces must be equipped with at least one charging station and cable ducting for the later installation of an electric vehicle charging station at every fifth parking space, where the building's car park is located inside the building and, in the case of an alteration to a completed building, this alteration also concerns the car park or the building's electrical wiring, or where the car park physically adjoins the building and, in the case of an alteration to a completed building, this alteration also concerns the car park or the car park's electrical wiring.
Public AC charging stations
Meaningful support for electromobility in a town lies in providing accessible, high-quality infrastructure for charging close to home or the workplace. DC charging stations offer a faster return on investment, but they are intended primarily for transit traffic. At present, the best coverage of charging stations is found in the City of Prague, the Central Bohemian Region and the South Moravian Region. This is also reflected in the number of electric vehicles in these regions. The lack of public charging stations for slow charging deters users from buying electric cars. By investing in public charging station infrastructure, towns play an important role in the electromobility revolution. By installing charging stations in public spaces, they help improve the environment in towns.
Generally speaking, the construction of public charging stations is held back by bureaucracy and the reluctance of municipalities and towns to lease land for further development. Protracted permitting procedures and lengthy planning processes are a persistent and widely recognised cause of slow construction, and not only of charging stations. However, if the development of electromobility is to continue, the construction of charging stations will need to be accelerated.
Supporting the development of electromobility can, meanwhile, bring local authorities a range of benefits, whether local zero-emission operation and lower noise levels, or precisely the aforementioned satisfaction of demand from residents.
Interested in building charging infrastructure for your residents?
More electric vehicles, fewer harmful emissions
In an age when we are focusing on sustainability and reducing harmful impacts on the environment, electromobility is becoming an essential part of our future. The development of electromobility in towns plays a key role in the fight against climate change and in improving residents' quality of life. One of the most effective ways to support electromobility is to build public charging stations in towns.
Towns are home to the majority of the population. This, however, has its downsides, particularly when it comes to harmful emissions from traditional combustion engines and traffic noise. These emissions have serious impacts on both the environment and human health. Increased emissions have a negative effect on air quality and raise the risk of respiratory illnesses. Traffic noise can lead to chronic health problems and reduce the quality of life of town residents.
Electric vehicles are clean and emission-free in operation, which means they do not produce harmful emissions such as carbon dioxide, nitrates and particulates that are typical of combustion engines. Electric vehicles thus contribute to better air quality in towns and reduce the risk of health complications associated with air pollution. As for noise, electric vehicles are far quieter than vehicles with traditional combustion engines. This reduces the overall noise level in towns, which has a positive effect on the comfort and quality of life of residents. Less traffic noise thus contributes to better sleep and concentration for town residents.
The need for public charging stations
For electromobility to become a common and attainable choice for town residents, the construction of public charging stations is essential. These stations enable electric vehicles to recharge. Without a sufficient number of charging stations, the development of electromobility could be slowed, which would have a negative impact on reducing emissions and noise in towns.
Towns and municipalities should actively invest in building public charging stations, thereby creating an infrastructure that supports the electromobility revolution. Improving the availability of charging stations will enable more people to switch to electric vehicles and thus help reduce harmful emissions and noise in towns.
More electric vehicles in towns means fewer harmful emissions and lower noise levels. This is the direction our future should take if we want to achieve a sustainable and healthy environment for all town residents. Building public charging stations is a step in the right direction, and towns should invest in this important infrastructure to support electromobility.
