Electric-car charging infrastructure continues to grow in Czechia, with dozens of stations added

Charging infrastructure in Czechia continues to expand. Dozens of new stations were added on major routes and in cities in the first half of the year, bringing the total to 2429. Usage is also rising, with both utilization and the volume of electricity consumed increasing by tens of percent year on year. This is according to the latest information from operators provided to ČTK. More than 5000 battery-electric cars were added in the Czech Republic in the first six months, bringing the total registered in the country to over 27.600.

All the major players in the market, including large energy companies, confirm that use of electric-car charging stations has increased this year. ČEZ has opened 94 new stations so far this year, bringing its network total to 754. „After opening a record 144 new stations last year, we are now well on track halfway through the year to surpass 180 charging units opened this year,“ said ČEZ Vice Chairman of the Board Pavel Cyrani. The company said construction is continuing primarily on large hubs with more charging units and high-speed stations. It aims to have more than 100 ultra-fast charging units this year.

Consumption across the network is also increasing along with the number of stations. ČEZ reported a 53 percent year-on-year increase in the volume of electricity consumed, with drivers using a record 3,5 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity at the company’s stations over more than 175.000 charging sessions. The number of charging sessions rose 44 percent year on year. The average charge is more than 20 kWh.

Pražská energetika has also increased its number of stations, adding more than 50 so far this year to bring the total to 693. The company said electricity consumption at the stations rose about 36 percent year on year to approximately 3,3 GWh. The number of charging sessions rose to around 188.000. Libor Hladík, head of the e-mobility division at Pražská energetika, noted that despite the gradual increase in the number of electric cars on the road, Czechia still lags behind Western Europe. „At the same time, the number of public charging points in Czechia, now more than 5000, would be enough to serve five times the current number of electric cars. In addition to expanding the public network, we are also rapidly building private charging points for households and businesses,“ Hladík said.

E.ON also recorded a significant increase in the amount of electricity consumed at its stations. Consumption rose 80 percent year on year, according to the company. Drivers also charged more often, with 68.726 sessions in the first six months alone—more than three-quarters of the total number of charges on E.ON’s network last year. The company now operates more than 500 charging points, with over a hundred locations under construction that are due to come online throughout this year.“Most of these locations will be equipped with ultra-fast charging points. Charging stations in Hradec Králové and Horní Počernice could open to the public soon,” said Martin Klíma, managing director of E.ON Drive Infrastructure.

The increase in usage and expansion of the charging-station network were already evident in Czechia last year. The number of charging stations for electric cars rose by more than 40 percent in 2023. At the end of last year, the state recorded 2287 stations with 4187 charging points.

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