Thousands More Ultrafast EV Chargers Planned For European Countries

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Many European countries will get new 400 kW public EV chargers by 2028. They are Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Czechia, and Estonia. Over 250 fast-charging hubs will be installed at major shopping and commercial centers and each hub will have as many as 12 charging ports. The total number could be as many as 3,000 ultrafast charging ports in the 8 countries. 

The European Investment Bank (EIB) will fund the new public chargers by granting a €35 million loan to Eleport, a startup based in Estonia.

“Scaling up fast‑charging infrastructure is essential to accelerate the shift to electric mobility and reduce emissions from road transport,” said EIB Vice-President Karl Nehammer. “This operation demonstrates how we can provide innovative, long‑term financing to fast‑growing companies delivering high‑impact sustainable infrastructure.”

Chargers that deliver 400 kW can replenish an EV battery to about 80% in less than 40 minutes, depending on the vehicle’s battery size and charging curve. Adding 100 miles would be far less than that. One of the faster charging vehicles, the Lucid Gravity, has been clocked at adding 200 miles of range in 12 minutes at 400 kW. There are many EVs that don’t charge so fast, which is one reason it helps to have fast chargers in public. Even slower charging vehicles can have an expedited charging session at such a fast charger, provided they can accept the charge rate.

“This EIB loan is an important step in expanding reliable, high-quality charging infrastructure across Central and Eastern Europe. Our goal is for electric-vehicle drivers to be able to stop where they already need to be, plug in briefly and move on with their day,” said Eleport Chief Executive Officer Jakub Miler. 

Installing ultrafast chargers in multiple countries within the same region supports long-distance travel. In areas that don’t currently have any or enough fast chargers, adding some new ones fills in the gaps for long-distance travelers.

Eleport operates fast chargers already in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, and Croatia. It is worth mentioning that fast chargers support travel conducted by Europeans and non-Europeans on vacation or business trips who travel within Europe and choose to drive electric vehicles.

A little while back I wrote an article about a family from England who drove on electricity into France and Italy and then returned home in an ID.7, charging at convenient locations the whole way with no issues. While this kind of vacation and a little adventure might seem like a dream, it is now increasingly a reality.