The comments of the competition participants have been taken into account by state institutions and developers of charging networks for several years.
At one time, almost 70 electric cars will enter the Kaunas-Cēsis-Tartu route. They will not be able to exceed the speed limit or violate other traffic rules. Those who can find the shortest paths and charge the fastest will win. Of course, such a number of electric cars will be a big test for the existing charging infrastructure, so before the competition we also talked to Eimantas Balta, the head of the largest charging network in the Baltic States, Ignitis ON, about the future of charging.
Ignitis ON photo/Eimantas White
– Ignitis ON currently manages the largest electric car charging network in the Baltic States. In the coming years, will the main focus remain on the Baltic region, or are you also considering expanding to other markets?
Currently, our main focus remains the Baltic countries – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Here we see a rapidly growing market for electric cars and a great need for infrastructure.
Today, the Ignitis ON network includes more than 1,900 charging points and covers more than 90% of the world’s population. territories of the Baltic countries, and in Lithuania – as much as 98 percent.
Our goal is to ensure that it is possible to travel comfortably by electric car both in cities and between different regions or countries. Therefore, we are currently giving priority to strengthening the network and ensuring a high-quality user experience in the Baltic region.
– How, in your opinion, will the electric car charging infrastructure change in the coming years? Will there be an increase in the market for high-power charging HUBs in strategic locations?
– We see that the market is moving not only in the direction of quantity, but also in the direction of quality. In the early stages of electromobility, the key was to ensure basic network coverage so that people could travel without fear of charging.
Now, high-power HUBs in strategically important places – near highways, shopping centers or places where people can comfortably spend time while charging – are playing an increasingly important role.
Projects such as the Vējuku charging park point in exactly this direction – fast charging, more places at the same time and wider infrastructure for the convenience of drivers.
However, regional stations also remain important as they ensure network availability throughout the country.
– How important is the heavy electric transport infrastructure becoming in Ignitis ON’s strategy?
– Heavy electric transport is becoming one of the most important areas of electromobility today. We see a growing interest in electric trucks and buses from logistics companies, public transport operators and businesses.
Therefore, we are already designing the next-generation infrastructure thinking not only about passenger cars. For example, the Vējuku park is also specially adapted for heavy transport – it has spacious charging places, the possibility of charging more vehicles at the same time, and ultra-fast charging of up to 400 kW.
We see that it is the trunk HUBs that will become an important part of the heavy electric transport infrastructure in the future.
– How does the demand for charging electric cars change in regions where there is no high transit traffic?
– We see that electromobility is growing rapidly not only in big cities. The number of electric car drivers is also increasing in the regions, so there is a growing need for convenient infrastructure closer to a person’s daily route.
Today, electric cars are no longer just a city vehicle – people use them to travel all over Lithuania. That is why we pay a lot of attention not only to highways, but also to regional network coverage.
Currently, the Ignitis ON network covers as much as 98 percent. Lithuanian territory, so you usually need to drive no more than 30 kilometers to the nearest charging access.
We also see a consistent increase in the use of infrastructure – electricity consumption at public charging stations grew by more than 50 percent this year.
– How, in your opinion, will the experience of charging electric cars change in the coming years?
– In the coming years, the biggest changes will take place not so much in the field of power itself, but in the field of user experience.
The market is moving towards the simplest and smoothest possible charging process – more automation, more convenient payment methods, integrated apps and fewer additional actions for the driver.
For example, we are already implementing solutions today that allow you to pay with a mobile app, RFID key, bank card or even an automatic top-up function without additional steps.
Also, high-power HUBs are becoming more and more important, where drivers can not only quickly charge their car, but also spend their time in comfort – resting, eating or shopping.
The ultimate goal is very simple – to make charging an electric car a natural and effortless part of everyday life.
