A step into the future of driving for Rijeka!
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 15th of June, 2018, the two e-chargers now set up in Rijeka are part of a project co-financed by the European Union, which will provide 69 fast e-chargers and four ultra-fast ones at 31 locations in corridors across both Croatia and Romania. The project will last until the end of 2020 and its total value stands at 4.3 million euro.
On the eve of the beginning of the main tourist season, Hrvatski Telekom (Croatian Telecom) and Tower Center Rijeka set up the first fast e-charger for electric vehicles in the City of Rijeka, as part of the project "Comprehensive fast-charging corridor network in Southeastern Europe". With this installation, Rijeka has joined a map of smart cities that promote e-mobility as a key concept of low-carbon mobility.
The first fast e-charger in Rijeka will provide top-of-the-line charging services for Croatia's electric car drivers, as well as for the increasing number of tourists who come to Croatia on holiday in electric vehicles. The e-charger is located on the rooftop car park of Tower Center Rijeka and can simultaneously charge up two cars at once, with a total of three different connections. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, free of charge for all electric car users. Charging takes about twenty minutes, and constant customer support is also available should it be required.
The latest analysis and projections by the International Energy Agency estimate that the number of electric vehicles sold will increase to 20 million by the year 2030, which is twenty times more than the number sold last year. Additionally, by the year 2023 alone, a ten-fold increase in the market value of electric charging stations from 3 billion to over 30 billion dollars is expected. Within the scope and framework of this project, the installation of 16 high speed and one ultra fast charger in at least six locations across Croatia is planned.
"There are more and more users of electric vehicles in Croatia, but also tourists who want a fast and accessible charging service for their vehicle wherever they go,'' stated Dino Novosel from Hrvatski Telekom.
The largest regional e-charger network, Puni.hr, currently has 115 e-chargers in 72 Croatian cities on file, providing 155 charging points. Automatic access to the e-chargers is possible for more than 60,000 EU electric vehicle users via the mobile application PlugSurfing and Hrvatski Telekom's SMS service. In addition, each Puni.hr e-charger is visible and accessible via the largest eRoaming platform HUBJECT, which combines over 100 e-charging service providers and enables active access for more than 300,000 EV users from the EU, as well as providing free e-charging services until the end of June 2018.
The "Comprehensive Southeast Europe Corridor Network" project is aimed at providing top-level user experience through the implementation of an advanced ICT system that will the enable geo-locating of free e-chargers, authorisation, billing, and providing the best customer support.
"In line with the development of new technologies, Tower Center Rijeka has decided to set up the e-chargers and thus follow the European and global trends of CO2 emission reduction policies, climate change prevention and environmental protection. By providing an e-charger, we're providing top-notch service to the visitors to the centre, to local users, and to foreign tourists,'' said Solidea Kurelić, Director of Tower Center Rijeka.
In addition to the aforementioned new e-charger in the city of Rijeka, back in early June, the seventh fast charger was opened in the area of the City of Zagreb in front of the Croatian Autoclub located on Dubrovnik Avenue. Collaboration with the Croatian Autoclub will soon provide additional benefits to all electric vehicle users, and the first of many is the integration of dynamic data on the state of Puni.hr's e-chargers through HAK's mobile applications.
"The Croatian Autoclub is applying its modern technology and is committed to protecting the environment and reducing the emission of harmful gases as a result of road traffic. That's why we've installed a fast battery charger for electric vehicles next to our office in Zagreb for our members, other drivers, and foreign tourists,'' said HAK's president, Slavko Tušek.
Coverage of the e-charger network will enable the development of green corridors of e-mobility in Central and Southeastern Europe, and is part of a wider global project for better connecting countries from South East Europe. The project contributes to the fulfillment of the Europe 2020 strategy goals. In addition to traditional workplaces required for the development and maintenance of the e-charger network, the project encourages employment in the IT system and digital services sector too.
As part of this project, the new fast e-chargers will soon be located in various locations in Varaždin, Karlovac, Delnice, Rijeka, and in Zagreb.
