Continuing to educate the public and promote electromobility, Uzladets SIA has started selling electric vehicle charging equipment and accessories for households and companies. These chargers can charge up to 10 times faster than using a household socket.

In March, the sale of electric car chargers and their accessories was started on the website – veikals.uzladets.lv. Chargers are available from several brands:

  • Ensto
  • EO
  • Etrel
  • NRGkick
  • Schneider Electric

They are suitable for use anywhere with a proper electrical connection. Charging cables, power regulators and a number of themed accessories are also available for purchase for electric car enthusiasts, such as:

  • Shirts with themed print
  • Car stickers, etc.

The number of electric cars in Latvia has been increasing in recent years with an average annual increase of 45% (49% in 2019). Given this increase in electric cars, it is observed that the number of publicly available charging stations is also growing. Existing forecasts and public plans suggest that over the next 10 years, there will be approximately 36,000 electric cars and 300 high-speed DC charging stations in Latvia. This indicates that there will be a rapid demand for slow and medium-speed charging stations for households and businesses.

Uzladets SIA, board member Kārlis Mendziņš’s comment:

“When charging a car at home, it is safer and more convenient to use a charging station rather than the usual socket with the adapter included in the car. A charging station attached to a wall or a separate pole is more visually attractive and provides additional safety features that a household socket cannot provide.

Majority of modern electric cars can be charged at 5 times the power available in the outlet. And the number of cars that can be charged with even more power continues to grow, reducing the time required to fully charge the car accordingly.”

The charging time depends on the electric vehicle itself as well as on the charger and the electrical connection. For example, the Renault Zoe is capable of charging at a maximum power of 22kW (3 phases, 32 amps), while the Nissan Leaf is capable of charging at 7kW (1 phase, 32 amps). For safe operation of chargers, it is recommended that they’re installed by professionals. Advice on this can be provided by Uzladets partner.

As the number of electric cars in Latvia grows, the number of public charging points after 5 years could be at least 1000, but after 10 years – more than 3000. EU directives recommend that for 10 cars, one public charging point is required, which can have different capacities – slow (<7kW), medium fast )<50kW) or fast (>=50kW DC).