Czech Republic leads central European charge to electric cars

Tomáš Chmelík, head of clean technologies at Czech power company ČEZ, would like traffic jams in his country to be amongst the cleanest and quietest in Europe. In this fantasy, green-wheeled electric cars are spinning everywhere.

But for all the buzz surrounding low-carbon cars, including of course, debates about their true green credentials, mass adoption is not imminent. Customers and manufacturers need a compelling reason to change from petrol and diesel power- and the comfort factor of a huge network of refuelling stations.

Since 2009, the E-Mobility project, which Chmelík leads, has worked to break the vicious circle and put in place the keystone: a backbone network of electric car charging stations across theCzech Republic.

“We had to start thinking about electric cars seriously,” said Chmelík, who previously held a top climate change post in the state’s Ministry of Environment, on the origins of E-Mobility. Until now, a lack of charging points between towns and cities meant going electric was not practical.

His team has opened 40 charging stations dotted around Prague and surrounding cities. This is modest by the standards of western European countries - Belgium has 500 charging points, Germany 2,622 and the Netherlands close to 5,500. For Central European countries, however, 40 is about average.

The Czech Republic’s first charging station was at a fast food outlet of McDonald’s in Prague. “It was symbiotic for us and McDonald’s – people need somewhere to pass the time when they are charging-up,” said Chmelík.

A standard charging station costs between €20,000 - €30,000 to install. If there is no electricity on a site already, investing in a cable and grid access, doubles the cost.

Complications are inevitable when new technology is involved. “New cars are sometimes not ‘talking’ correctly to charging infrastructure so software adjustments may be necessary for example, but all this is logical in a pioneering phase,” Chmelik said.

Outpaced for now

Electric cars are growing in popularity in Europe, and in 2014 to date, battery-powered cars, have accounted for 13 per cent of new car sales, far ahead of the rest of the world.

However, the market is heavily dependent on government subsidies and in Czech there has been little backing from the government. Cars may be valid for a road tax exemption, but only if they have a business purpose. “The lack of government support is not helping right now,” said Chmelík. “But a clean mobility plan is being drawn up,” he added.

By contrast the Norwegians, who have embraced the concept like no others, are strongly incentivised to buy. Here, electric cars are exempt from road tolls or fees at public parking spaces, where they can recharge batteries without cost. There are also perks such as being allowed to drive in the bus lanes in Oslo. But above all, they are exempt from Norway's sky high sales taxes and VAT.

It’s no coincidence then, that the number of electric cars per capita in Norway is the highest in the world. Sales reached 7,882 cars in 2013, according to UK Automotive Industry Data, making Norway Europe’s second biggest purchaser after France, where 8,779 electric cars were bought in 2013.

Currently, the Czech Republic has around 500 electric cars on the streets, reckoned Chmelík. “There is still no big boom, but as the electric car offering is growing, the number of sold cars is increasing,” he said. “We’re seeing around 50 new cars sold every month.”   

Faster charging

For those contemplating the purchase of an electric car, there is not only the nervousness that re-charging stations are few and far between, but also the nuisance of waiting around for hours while the car battery charges, to think about.

In response, speedier charging stations have arrived. “We’re installing fast charging stations now – which will have the ability to top up your car in 20 to 30 minutes depending on how empty you are,” said Chmelík. The project will install ten public stations in the next month, he added. Putting recharging equipment into homes is something the project will consider down the line.

Overall, this is a long term play, said Chmelík. Recouping the capital costs of kitting a country out with charging stations will not happen overnight, but it’s still the right move, he said. “We know power companies will face competition in the future from renewables and smart appliances.”

The timing feels right, and the prospects for electric cars will only improve, said Chmelík. “Overall, it’s very exciting work.”