Czech EV charging network adds dozens of stations, enough to meet demand

Dozens of new EV charging stations began operating in Czechia during the first quarter. Their usage also increased, with operators reporting year-on-year growth in electricity consumption of tens of percent. This is according to information provided by operators to the Czech News Agency (ČTK). Data from automotive associations show that more than 40.000 electric cars are currently registered in the country. Transport experts say the density of charging infrastructure in Czechia is currently sufficient; in terms of the number of stations, the country is around the European average.

„The Czech Republic has once again made progress in the number of public charging points, which now stands at around 7000, placing us 14th among European Union countries. That means there are approximately six battery-electric vehicles for every public charging point,“ said Lukáš Kadula from the Centre for Transport Research.

The ratio of charging points to battery-electric vehicles on the road has therefore changed little so far, and the continually expanding Czech charging infrastructure is more than sufficient, he said. According to previous calculations by the authorities, the current number of stations in Czechia could serve more than 100.000 electric cars.

ČEZ operates the largest network and has so far opened 46 EV charging stations this year. The company plans to become the first operator to exceed 1000 charging units in its network this year, which would mean adding more than a hundred stations by the end of the year. According to the company, its priority remains ultra-fast chargers, which will account for 45 percent of the network’s capacity.

The second-largest operator, Pražská energetika (PRE), has also expanded its network by dozens of new stations this year. It brought 34 stations into operation in the first three months, bringing its total to 835. PRE has more than 70 percent of its stations in the capital, with the remaining 30 percent elsewhere in the country.

Alongside the infrastructure itself, its usage is also growing. ČEZ recorded a 70 percent year-on-year increase in electricity consumption across its network in the first quarter, to more than three gigawatt-hours (GWh). The average amount of electricity used per charging session rose by 11 percent to 22,9 kWh, the company said. PRE also confirmed an increase in charging sessions: its customers completed a total of 125.000 charging transactions in the first quarter, up 32 percent year on year. Electricity consumption rose even more sharply, by 45 percent year on year to 2,45 GWh.

Czechia is around the European average in terms of the number of charging stations, lagging mainly behind some countries in western and northern Europe. Norway and the Netherlands are among Europe’s leaders in electric mobility.