Electric vehicles (EVs) are rapidly gaining popularity, and for good reason. They are environmentally friendly, economical and contribute to a cleaner future. But did you know that the future of electric mobility depends not only on the EVs themselves, but also on the infrastructure that powers them?
Parking facilities play a major role in the electric transition
Car parks are essential to the success of EVs. They provide a convenient place to charge your car, both above-ground and underground.
The appealing aspect of charging your EV in a car park is its versatility. Both above-ground and underground car parks play an important role in facilitating EV charging.
Above-ground charging points: These are often strategically placed close to entrances, giving drivers quick access to charge their vehicles. It is a convenient option for shorter parking periods.
Underground charging infrastructure: This offers a more streamlined and discreet charging experience. It is ideal for people who park their car for longer periods and want to charge undisturbed while at work, for example.
How do I approach the installation of charging infrastructure in a shared car park?
Installing charging infrastructure can be done in 2 ways. One can opt for an individual charging solution or a collective charging solution, such as Pluginvest's EV-Parking solution. Both have their own advantages, but require a different approach. In the event that you have agreed with other co-owners that you would like to install multiple charging devices in a charging network that allows expansion for the rest of the car park, this needs to be approved by the Association of Co-owners (ACO). For this, you need a two-thirds majority of the ACO. So this means that installing a charging network in a residential car park can also be refused by the ACO. It is therefore necessary to be well prepared before proposing this to the co-owners. You will find some useful arguments in the 'Plug 'n Charge' free e-book.
"Virtually all full electric cars (full EVs) can charge at charging stations of all capacities."
- Park 'n charge guide
Smart chargers ensure a balanced power grid
An intelligent or smart charging station besides being able to charge a car safely and quickly, also has some additional features. These include load balancing, energy metering and data communication. You can link these functions to a management platform such as that of Pluginvest. This makes it possible to draw up a statement of energy consumed for the private charging stations of different residents or at (semi)public charging stations, for example. Fault reports, software updates and real-time monitoring of the charging stations can also be carried out this way.
In addition, load balancing of smart charging stations is booming. This feature offers the possibility of smartly controlling the peak power of one or more charging stations. This can be interesting when there is limited grid capacity, but also to take advantage of favourable energy or grid tariffs
Discover all about charging solutions in your car park
Our ebook "Park 'n charge: The guide to charging in your car park" takes you through the world of electric charging solutions in car parks. It offers in-depth insights into the current state of play and future developments for electric mobility. You will learn about the different technologies used for charging stations, tax advantages of charging solutions and get a handy roadmap for the transition to sustainable mobility.