Northern Netherlands gets 35,000 extra charging points

Up to 35,000 public charging points for EVs will be added in the Dutch provinces of Flevoland, North Holland, and Utrecht by 2027. The first charging points could already be on the streets from the middle of this year, according to project agency MRA-Elektrisch, which tendered for 74 municipalities for this purpose.

The Netherlands passed the 500,000 EV charging points mark last year, putting it among the frontrunners in Europe. But just last month, Dutch grid operator Stein, which operates mainly in the urbanized Randstad region, called on charging station operators to switch off charging stations between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. to relieve some of the congested power grid during those hours.

Variable charging rates

Shell Ubicity, Vattenfall InCharge, and TotalEnergies will provide the installation, management, and operation of the charging points. The charging points, which will operate according to variable charging rates, will also take up less space in the streetscape, and municipalities can choose a specific color.

The municipalities involved have identified 176 locations where rapid construction can occur, including ‘strategic’ locations outside built-up areas and near shopping areas, sports centers, and business parks.

Smart charging

Congestion on the power grid would also be considered. In other words, charging would occur mainly when a lot of solar or wind energy is generated and the electricity price is low. This ‘smart charging’ is done automatically so that, for example, charging is done at night instead of in the evening.

Operators can also temporarily reduce the capacity of the charging points in places where the electricity demand is momentarily too high. If a charging station proves to be busy, more will be added nearby. Through MRA-Elektrisch’s request portal, any citizen can submit a request for a public charging station on his street or at his work address.

Substantial differences in charging rates

Project office MRA-Elektrisch is a collaborative project of the governments in North Holland, Flevoland, and Utrecht, or the Northwest region. The aim is to promote electric transport to achieve policy goals around air quality and climate.

Since 2012, the project office has supported electric driving by placing and managing charging infrastructure in municipalities. By the end of 2022, the number of charging stations had already exceeded 10,000. The office also initiates and boosts EV projects.

Independer’s research, based on Eco-Movement data, shows that the difference in charging rates between provinces is substantial in the Netherlands. In Zeeland, drivers are the worst off.

Charging at a publicly accessible charge point here costs an average of 47 cents per kWh, some 3% higher than the average in the Netherlands. This is followed by the provinces of Friesland, Utrecht, Felvoland, North Brabant, and South Holland, all with an average of 38 cents per kWH.