Statistics show that 0.3% of all road vehicles in Latvia are currently electric. One of the reasons why people still prefer internal-combustion cars is the lack of access to charging stations. At the same time, forecasts say that the European Union will have at least a million charging stations by 2025, as opposed to about 174 thousand today. In Latvia, this number will rise to at least 1000 in five years, and to 3600, in a decade.

Electric Mobility Expert Edgars Korsaks-Mills and Elektrum Electric Mobility and Energy Management Technical Expert Kaspars Straume talked about the actual situation with charging an electric car in Latvia, about the advantages of a wallbox charger, and about what Elektrum has to offer in this field.

Every fourth Latvian planning to by an electric car

Even before the government agreed on the conditions for subsidising the purchase of electric cars, Latvenergo had predicted that at least 36 thousand would be registered in Latvia by 2030. In late 2021, the Cabinet supported the proposal to award 4500 euros to private individuals as co-funding for buying a new electric car, and 2250 euros, for purchasing a used one. This has led to an adjustment in the predictions, with more than 60 thousand electric cars expected to drive on Latvia’s roads by 2030.

Kaspars also commented on the gradual expansion of the electric infrastructure to allay doubts as to its ability to handle this many vehicles, noting that Latvenergo and Sadales tīkls closely monitored the consumption of electricity. In the coming years, we can expect solar and wind farms to expand as well. There is also a connection to Nord Pool. This means that a deficit of electricity is not something that could arise.

With the growing range of available electric cars and expanding network of charging stations, the public’s overall opinions about buying these vehicles have also improved. In 2020, Citadele bank and Norstat conducted a survey, revealing that 82% of Latvia’s residents supported the use of electric cars. Furthermore, a survey carried out by Latvenergo and SKDS on 1 March 2021 showed that every fourth respondent was going to replace their current combustion-engine vehicle with an electric one.

Key criteria to keep in mind when buying an electric car

The variety of electric cars is really extensive today, as every self-respecting car manufacturer offers a vehicle of this type. In contrast to just a few years ago, when there were about three options, and none of them appealing, car buyers now have a lot of choice in terms of models, prices and accessories.

But if you don’t really know what you want, this variety can be paralysing. Especially because electric cars are becoming more and more like one another. So before buying one, we recommend you to answer the following important questions, all of which are directly or indirectly related to charging:

• How far do you drive your car on a typical day?
• Will the electric car be your only one, and how often do you intend to use it?
• Where will you charge the car, at home, at work, or using public stations?
• Do you have any public charging stations along your daily routes, near your home or your job?

Edgars explained that if your daily travel is limited to the city or its suburbs, a smaller battery is sufficient, with a larger battery better suited for those who have to regularly drive long distances. In any case, one should assess the capacity of a battery based not only on the driving habits, but also on the availability of charging options. If you have easy access to charging in your day-to-day life, get a smaller battery, and if the charging options don’t leave too much room for mobility, get one with more capacity. More and more charging stations are installed next to office buildings and malls. If you have a detached house, you can set up your own charger there, to fully load up your battery overnight. If your everyday routes don’t have conveniently located charging stations on the way, and you need to charge up for a long trip, a car that supports fast and powerful charging is a better choice. "Your first concern should be your everyday driving habits: once ascertained, you can easily find the right model,"Edgars pointed out.

Ultra-fast charging stations expected soon

Currently, you can mostly charge an electric car in three ways in Latvia:

• Slow charging, using a simple power socket. With a 3.6 kW household power socket, you can get about 36 kWh of charge in 10 hours. This means that if your car’s battery is under 40 kWh, this solution would be enough. A battery of 64 kWh or more would mean that in 10 hours (i.e., overnight) you would only get it to half of its maximum, or even less. Keep in mind, obviously, that we don’t use up the entire battery charge every day.
• Medium-fast charging, using a fixed charging station installed on a wall, a pole etc., often called a wallbox. This device delivers more power, at 7 to 22 kW, meaning that it can fully charge a vehicle in 3 to 6 hours. Elektrum, too, offers charging stations of this type.
• Fast-charging stations have a power output of 50 kW or even more, and can charge your car’s battery up to 80% in about 30–40 minutes, or get 100 km of range in some 20 minutes.

Currently, Elektrum operates the biggest network of commercial charging stations in Latvia, with 25 public stations for charging electric cars, with 150 kWh ultra-fast, 50 kW fast, and 22 kW medium-fast charging. This totals 90 charging connection points in Riga, Mārupe, Jūrmala, Liepāja, Jelgava, Valmiera, Aizkraukle, Jēkabpils and Daugavpils. The first charging station in a residential district in Riga was built in late 2021. Elektrum will continue growing this network, and will expand beyond Latvia, setting up 230 charging stations across the Baltic states.

In Edgars "view, the charging infrastructure outside Riga was already very extensive. However, people should have more confidence in that whenever they go to a charging stations, it is actually available. This is why, he emphasised, it is so important to create more charging options at destinations, which are the most obvious locations for charging in everyday situations. The next development stage for Elektrum is specifically about how to integrate these medium-fast charging stations in the urban environment."

Is an electric car an option for people living in flats at all?

Although in the long run, the electric car is a cheaper vehicle compared to its internal-combustion counterparts, certain factors do exist that force people to refrain from buying one. The biggest concerns are exactly to do with charging and the fear of getting unexpectedly stranded on the road. Kaspars confirmed the existence of such stereotypes: that the battery can just run out of charge in the middle of the road, meaning you’d have to call a towing service, with all the hassle that this involves. He emphasised that such situations were very uncommon, as the number of charging stations in Latvia was already sufficiently large.

Another worry, and it is still a relatively major challenge in Latvia and in Europe at large, is the installation of charging points in high-density residential areas. A large proportion of Latvians live in Riga. In turn, most of Riga’s citizens live in flats. How can someone living in a flat charge an electric vehicle? Is an electric car an option for them at all? Kaspars shared his own experience with this, emphasising how important it is for electric car owners living in flats to find a charging point that is not too far away. He lives in a flat himself, and tends to charge his car at the Alfa shopping centre station nearby, which has a standard power socket power. This is really not an option for those whose car has a large battery, because with them, getting to a full charge means waiting for a few hours.

But there is good news. First, you see more and more charging points next to office buildings. Also, according to the EU directive on the energy performance of buildings, new buildings with more than 10 parking spaces must offer ways to charge an electric car. This rule took effect in Latvia on 10 March 2021. It means that all new and renovated buildings must have charging points for electric cars.

Furthermore, Elektrum has already installed wallboxes in Riga’s high-density neighbourhoods, namely Purvciems and Jugla, located at an average distance of 10 minutes from the flats. This is a way for you to easily connect your car to a charger, and take your trip without any worries in the morning. Elektrum plans to progress even further on this front, and expects to set up even more neighbourhood charging points this year.

Detached house owners already enjoy much better charging options

Statistics show that currently 50% of all electric car charging takes place at home, 20%, at offices and job locations, 25%, at public charging facilities, including shopping centres and entertainment venues, while 5% takes place on the road. These data clearly show that the owners of these cars prefer charging their vehicles next to their homes. Everyone has a 3.6 kW socket at home, which is enough to add a few kilometres to the range of your car. But how safe is it to charge a car in this way?

According to Kaspars, every electric car has a charger, intended for a current of 10 amps (A), which is roughly equivalent to the power of an electric kettle. Standards state that if this device is used, and the electric wiring is of sufficiently good quality, everything should be fine, and it should be possible to load the car, overnight if necessary. 10 A normally gives 10 km of range per hour. Even though this approach does work, a household power socket is not an overall long-term solution for charging an electric car.

Is a wallbox a good charging option?

Elektrum offers a broad range of wallboxes, as an excellent replacement for household sockets. They function as charging stations with medium-fast charging speeds, and are a good option for detached house owners. They are typically used if there is a desire for faster charging, or ability to better control the process. In this way, you can get an additional 50+ km within an hour.

Edgars noted that a household power socket also does not use the entire capacity of the charging device installed in the car: A wallbox makes sure that the maximum output of your power connection is used, making it possible for you to charge your electric car at least twice as fast.

Elektrum offers different wallboxes, and it’s important to be aware of your needs. According to Edgars, the first thing to do before buying one is to look at the technical specifications of your vehicle, and specifically, the maximum alternating-current power that it can accommodate. For cars it’s usually 7 to 22 kW, depending on the model and equipment. Secondly, you should find out what type of electric connection the house has, and how much freely available capacity there still is. Thirdly, it is also important to think about your driving habits: whether you have to take longer or shorter trips every day, if there is need to fully charge the car very quickly etc.

Technical aspects to keep in mind when installing a wallbox

From a technical perspective, a wallbox is just a power socket, except that it does not feed any electricity unless you activate a charging procedure. The wallbox sends a signal to the car, which tries to understand what amount of power it can draw from the device. Kaspars noted that there were no known examples of an electric car not being compatible with a wallbox and refusing to get charged. Thus, wallboxes are a relatively reliable way to charge electric cars, including those with large-capacity batteries, at home.

When installing a wallbox, one should also make sure that it is not exposed to rain and snow. A qualified electrician will attach it to a wall of the building, set up a power leak protection system, prepare the documentation, and perform the necessary measurements. However, digging will be necessary if the client wants the wallbox to be installed, for example, in the middle of a garden. This is a more complex task, and one would have to watch out for other cables.

Speaking of safety, Kaspars explained that a power leak protection system is a standard feature included in wallboxes. There is 6 mA direct-current protection inside the wallbox itself. The power cabinet outside also has a 30 mA alternating-current leak protection system. You can also buy wallboxes, in which all of this is already integrated.

The installation of the wallbox can be handled by the client, but it is much easier and more convenient to contact Elektrum specialists for this, as they will help choose the right wallbox, and then properly install it, with customised solutions available. Elektrum offers prices starting at 1025 euros for a 7.4 kW wallbox, including installation. Without installation, the device costs about 605 euros.

What other functions does a wallbox have?

• Adjusting the charging power, to adapt it to the electric connection capacity in your house;
• Authorisation features, meaning that no one else can connect to your wallbox;
• A schedule option to specify the time for the charging to begin;
• Power balancing, or dynamic power adjustment during the charging process, depending on how much electricity the house consumes at a given time.

Wallboxes to be included with every electric car in the future?

According to Edgars, wallboxes are already being offered as an accessory that comes with electric cars, and will become an integral part of everything related to electric vehicles and charging at home, especially given the development of microgeneration options. Meanwhile, Kaspars thought that despite all of the additional features, the main function of wallboxes was not going away. The device could become smarter, with an option to connect it to solar panels. Meaning that whenever the sun is shining, the car charges up. In the coming 10 years, every vehicle connected to the grid could also function as a way to store energy, and Elektrum is already working on this solution.

Article prepared in cooperation with Kursors.lv