HOW CAN ELECTROMOBILITY HELP SLOVAK COMPANIES?

A Slovak manufacturer of electric car chargers explains how charging stations could support entrepreneurs and self-governments.

The raging coronavirus pandemic requires two types of action in particular. The most important are those related to health care, closely followed by economic ones aimed at helping the Slovak economy get back on its feet. Could electromobility, which was booming even before the crisis, play a role here? Ján Zuštiak, founder of the Slovak brand of intelligent charging stations, explains how this sector could help Slovak self-governments and entrepreneurs.

 

1. Entrepreneurs' discount instead of e-charger allowance

Until recently, municipalities and entrepreneurs could apply to the Ministry of Economy of the SR for support in the purchase of e-charging stations. However, due to the Covid crisis, the state cancelled the call. The charger manufacturer AgeVolt has responded by offering businesses and self-governments a 20% discount on its products. ”For those who have created a sufficient financial reserve, it is certainly an interesting investment that will bring either cost savings or, in many cases, new clients and profit in the future,“ says Zuštiak. Charging stations for electric cars can be useful for hotels, guesthouses, courier services, delivery services, office buildings, taxi services, car services, companies with a large number of electric service vehicles, service workers or any building with public parking. ”Thanks to the installation of e-chargers, municipalities have a great opportunity to support tourism and local service providers,“ said Zuštiak.

2. When made available to the public, they generate a profit

In the case of a charger owned by a private person, company or municipality (as opposed to those rented), the owner can charge the price for charging according to his or her preferences once the charger is available to the public. "By building a network of stations in the way the AgeVolt project advocates, i.e. leaving them privately owned by the owners of the parking spaces rather than owned by the companies running the charging stations, we can kick-start the sharing economy more quickly,” thinks the project's author.

3. No need to replace circuit breakers or raise electricity lump sum payments

The Slovak manufacturer of e-chargers has also come up with an innovative solution to save their owners money. In addition to the charger itself, the system consists of electricity meters and a control unit that communicate, monitor the current consumption of the building and only release as much energy for charging as the situation allows, for example, due to the power of the circuit breakers. "We perceive the fear of entrepreneurs about e-mobility and the rising cost of electricity if e-chargers are procured. We have programmed our system so that charging is automatically optimised. The entrepreneur can change the circuit breakers, for example, only when the charging station is sufficiently efficient and will not take unnecessary risks," explained Zuštiak. Another advantage is the possibility to set up charging of own vehicles only during the low tariff in the case of two-tariff electricity metering.

4. Larger buildings do not face fines for exceeding reserved capacity

Another issue that larger buildings struggle with in the context of electromobility is the fear of exceeding the reserved capacity. If several cars are being charged at the same time, and at peak times, it could mean a fine of hundreds of euros per month for the owner of the building. "This problem is also solved by an intelligent control unit, which, based on information from the electricity meters, evenly distributes the maximum possible power among all charged vehicles," says the native of Lučivná. He adds that the system also allows for user prioritisation, where drivers with a VIP card charge at a higher power than others. 

5. Effective solutions are created at home in Slovakia

In addition to the support of domestic producers, it is essential when choosing a Slovak product of this type that it can be customised according to the specific needs and requirements of the interested party. "Because we are not just a supplier or integrator of charging stations, the entire solution as well as the subsequent service is directly in our hands," reveals Ján Zuštiak. AgeVolt chargers are made to order in three designs - wallbox with wall mounting, stand-alone post and lite (hardware with the option of being built into its own switchboard). Functions and add-ons are always installed and programmed in a customised way. For self-governments, Slovaks offer a turnkey solution from project documentation through the implementation of the connection to the installation of the charging system.