Kupka: The state will invest CZK 6 billion in charging infrastructure in the coming years

The state is planning to invest CZK 6 billion in charging infrastructure for electric vehicles on motorways and in cities in the coming years. It will use money from European funds for this. Transport Minister Martin Kupka (ODS) told reporters today. According to statistics from the authorities, there were around 1,360 charging stations in the Czech Republic at the end of last year, with around 2,600 charging points.

"In the next few years we are going to see a big renewal of the whole automotive industry. The government is aware of the key role of this sector for the Czech economy and wants to contribute to its transformation in the best possible way. In addition to the key construction of the Czech gigafactory, we are also involved in expanding the number and improving the quality of charging stations through the administration of subsidy programmes," said Kupka.

According to the minister, there are about 2,600 charging points in the Czech Republic, which is one of the highest ratios to the number of electric vehicles in operation in Europe. According to statistics, there are 22 charging stations per 100 electric cars in the Czech Republic, compared to the EU average of 15.

Kupka also reminded that the EU is preparing a directive that will oblige member states to build charging hubs every 60 kilometres on the TEN-T trans-European transport network.

The trend in the construction of charging stations is mainly ultra-fast charging racks. Kupka presented one of them today in cooperation with the energy company ČEZ in Prague's Letňany. "Electromobility is gradually catching up with the speed of refuelling conventional cars. The ultra-fast stations can supply emission-free energy for more than 200 kilometres of driving during a short refreshment break," said Pavel Cyrani, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of ČEZ. The company is now looking to add the high-powered stands at more infrequent locations. "The share of fast and ultra-fast stations in our country is at 60 percent, while the European average is around 10 percent," Cyrani added.

Hundreds of new charging stations for electric cars were built in the Czech Republic last year. Along with this, consumption and the number of recharges by users have increased significantly, with some operators more than doubling. In addition to CEZ, other large energy companies such as Pražská energetika and E.ON are also operating hundreds of stations.

The rapid growth in the use of charging stations is progressing alongside the rising interest in electric cars. There were 14,316 electric cars registered in the Czech Republic at the end of last year, an increase of 5,075 year-on-year. In addition, tens of thousands of hybrid cars, which combine electric propulsion with a conventional combustion engine, are on the roads in the country.

Source: CTK