The requirement to electrify a fifth of the parking spaces confuses the business: the end users will suffer

The requirement to install charging stations in parking lots during the construction, modernization or capital reconstruction of buildings has been in effect for two years, but its implementation has stalled. Business representatives support the idea of ​​promoting the development of electric vehicle infrastructure in this way, but suggest changing the requirements so that investments are used to install stations where they are most needed.

“Eleport” photo.

The requirement of the construction technical regulation is not less than 20 percent. parking spaces to ensure the possibility to charge electric cars entered into force in March 2022. Taking into account the comments of business representatives, the first change was made in June of last year, allowing the five mandatory designed slow charging stations to be replaced by one fast charging station. However, real estate developers and charging facility operators say that alone is not enough. They propose new changes, according to which 10 percent parking spaces would have to be equipped with charging access, and the same amount (10%) should be prepared for the installation of equipment by laying out cable channels.

The changes would make it easier to schedule and offer the best charging prices

Kazys Pupinis, the manager of the electric vehicle infrastructure developer Eleport in Lithuania and the Baltic States, notes that the different assessment of slow and fast charging stations that appeared in the construction regulations has become only a small relief for business. According to him, the current requirement still does not correspond to the real situation of the electric car market.

“Replacing five slow chargers with one fast charging station reduces investment, but by 20 percent parking lot electrification is still very expensive and therefore difficult to implement for both operators and property owners. It should also be taken into account that there are not many electric cars in Lithuania yet, so there is no need to electrify a fifth of the parking spaces in every commercial building lot. This expensive infrastructure simply will not be used efficiently – today the loading of the inlets intended for charging electric cars reaches only four to five percent”, says the company manager, adding that this is especially relevant for buildings with large parking lots.

According to K. Pupinis, the business wants to expand the charging infrastructure, but also aims to reduce inappropriate investments. Eleport, together with other operators of charging stations, real estate owners and project developers, are submitting amendments to this section of the building regulation that would require electrification of only 10% instead of 20%. parking spaces. Real estate owners would also be required to prepare another 10 percent. for the installation of chargers in parking spaces – to lead channels underground so that additional cables can be quickly laid and new charging stations can be built if the need arises.

“In a standard shopping center parking lot, it would be enough for the next three to seven years to charge electric cars, for example, 5 out of 50 parking spaces. Both the real estate owner and the charging station operator follow market changes, respond to customer needs and can install additional stations at any time. If specific locations are planned in advance and cable tunnels are brought to them, it is done very quickly,” comments the head of Eleport.

According to K. Pupinis, a similar practice is currently applied in neighboring Latvia, where there is no requirement to install parking spaces, but in commercial facilities with 10 parking spaces or larger spaces, at 10%. tunnels must be built for the parking spaces, where the cables for them can be laid if necessary.

Would agree to invest, but there is an even bigger problem

Mindaugas Statulevičius, president of the Lithuanian Real Estate Development Association (LNTPA), notes that the requirement of the construction technical regulation, which entered into force two years ago, to electrify a fifth of the parking spaces, has really become a serious challenge for business. According to the interviewee, the bigger problem is not even the charging equipment, but the inputs needed to power it and ensuring their power.

“When electrifying parking spaces, the parking lot may require more power and a more expensive electrical input than the entire facility. In addition, it is not even possible to get the kind of power that a facility with electric car charging access would require. Electricity networks are simply not adapted for this yet”, comments the head of LNTPA.

In the opinion of the interviewee, the requirement to electrify parking spaces was accepted by planning too far into the future. According to M. Statulevičius, when proposing changes to the construction technical regulation, the Ministry of Environment underestimated the prevalence of electric cars in Lithuania and did not take into account how slowly their number is growing.

M. Statulevičius adds that the proposed possibility of replacing five slow chargers with one fast charging station does not solve the issue of input power. “We have calculated that a small shopping center needs an input of about 160 kW, which can power all electrical appliances, including such power-hungry equipment as refrigerators. With the installation of just three 50 kW fast charging stations, this power requirement doubles. It is not only expensive, but also in individual cases, for example, during reconstruction, in general, it is economically inappropriate”, says the interviewer.

Thoughtful network development is better for users as well

Business representatives also propose to adjust the requirement of the construction regulation by limiting the maximum number of electrified and mandatorily prepared parking spaces. It is aimed that both 10 percent requirements would be calculated by setting a ceiling of 200 parking spaces. In the lot exceeding this number of parking spaces, real estate developers would be obliged to provide charging equipment for no more than 20 parking spaces and to prepare the same number for the installation of the equipment in the future.

NT Developers, Eleport and other charging station operators aim for the same thing – to ensure the best possible user experience and service price. In order to attract customers to commercial objects, the business will definitely use all possible means of motivation. Nobody wants to lose users who won’t come simply because they won’t have the opportunity to charge electric cars”, observes K. Pupinis.

Martynas Nagevičius, president of the Lithuanian Renewable Energy Confederation, agrees that measures to promote the development of charging infrastructure must be economically expedient. According to the interviewee, the fact that electric cars in Lithuania still make up less than 1% should be taken into account. of the total car park, so electrifying 20 percent of parking spaces for each new or renovated parking lot, this charging capacity would remain unused for a long time.

“Is it worth installing dozens of charging points in every parking lot if so many of them are not needed at the moment?” Charging stations are expensive, so a business needs to plan very well when purchasing them. Over-buying only freezes funds. We propose to reduce the number of stations that must be installed, but to oblige businesses to build communications and provide additional equipment installation locations,” comments the energy expert.

According to N. Nagevičius, the requirement of the construction technical regulation should be adjusted so that stations are not blindly installed where the charging infrastructure is already sufficiently developed. The interlocutor emphasizes that it would be better to provide at least a few mandatory charging points for electric cars near previously built public buildings than to build dozens of chargers in one place only near new facilities. According to the expert, it is necessary to ensure at least the minimum use of charging equipment, because if the business is forced to invest in unused infrastructure, consumers will have to pay very dearly for such a service, which will not encourage them to buy electric cars.