CZECH. Powering up Prague: City aims to have a thousand charging stations for electric cars
The company Technology of the Capital City of Prague is working on a considerable increase in the number of charging stations for electric cars around Prague. Their target is to have over a thousand such stations operational by 2026.
Drivers in Prague might well think twice about switching to an electric car, given the limited possibilities for charging one up around the city. At the end of last year, there were only around 2,400 charging stations operational across the whole country. These served around 22,000 fully electric cars, a small fraction of the number of vehicles on Czech roads. In 2023, Czechia had a higher proportion of car sales with diesel engines than any other EU country, while it came second to last in the number of electric cars sold – only one car in four. Czechs, it seems, are not enthusiastic about going electric.
However, the company Technology of the Capital City of Prague (THMP), responsible for the city’s public lighting, is working to improve drivers' options and expand the electric-car network in Prague. In the central district of Vinohrady, a pilot scheme has seen success with thirteen ‘charging lamps’ – roadside streetlights with a charging box attached. Each charging lamp is intended to come with its own reserved parking space for charging cars, which can take up to eight hours. Tomáš Jílek, CEO of THMP, spoke to Czech Radio about the scheme and the city’s general plans for eco-friendly energy.
“It is true that electro-mobility, figuratively speaking, moves the world, and the city of Prague does not want to be left behind in this respect. Two years ago, it was decided that the network of public lighting lamps provides an ideal opportunity to use them in the placement of chargers for electric cars.”
However, drivers will not see any differences just yet; essential infrastructure has to be laid down first.
“The project is mainly taking place underground for the moment, because the five and a half thousand kilometres of Prague's roads mean that it is necessary to get an appropriately thick electric cable of the appropriate power to those charging points, and that is the focus of this current project.”
Other initiatives from THMP include a ‘solar shelter’ set up in the Palmovka district. The first of its kind in Czechia, this carport can accommodate twelve vehicles under its roof, which itself generates electricity through its solar panels. The innovative shelter is therefore both a producer and a distributor of power for the area’s electric cars.
It’s not all good news for electric-car drivers though. On January 1st 2025, electric cars will lose the free parking that they have enjoyed across the city since 2019. From next year, free parking in paid zones will only apply if the car is currently being charged. However, such cars will nonetheless be eligible for discounted permits for the city’s purple zones, and will be allowed to be park for free in blue zones for fifteen or thirty minutes.