QCOSTARICA — The regulating authorities on public services, Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios Públicos (Aresep), indicated that there are only 125 public charging points for electric cars in the country, despite the fact that the are currently an estimated 17,500 electric vehicles circulating in Costa Rica.
And the number of this type of vehicle is increasing.
According to the State of the Nation Report, the growth of electric vehicles in the last two years is over 120%, that is, the number has doubled in that period.
– Advertisement –
Despite the speed at which electromobility is increasing, the infrastructure to respond to this demand is growing at a much slower pace.
According to the Aresep, 24 new units were installed in 2023, but so far in 2024, only three have been installed, in a year when experts indicate that the record of the import of electric vehicles was broken.
The same source reports that between January 2023 and April 2024, 4,959 breakdowns of electric vehicles were recorded. The main cause (4,641) was software problems.
Owners of electric vehicles point out publicly other problems, such as requiring the eight companies with paid charging facilities to register with their systems, that is an owner of an electrical vehicle must have subscribed to all eight to ensure access at any point in the travel.
For example, the State power company, the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) has no paid chargers in San José, which is serviced by ICE subsidiary, the CNFL which has only eight chargers installed. A separate subscription is required for ICE and CNFL.
– Advertisement –
Another issue is the lack of legislation on the matter that prevents the participation of more providers, also municipalities could be encouraged to promote such installation.
Asomove.org, a non-profit association made up of users and those interested in electric mobility. It was born out of the need to promote mobility, and publishes an online list of all paid chargers in Costa Rica, with information on their location, type of charges, costs, and instructions on their use.
This list does not include the growing trend of private companies, such as retailers and shopping centers, providing free charges for their customers while shopping.
– Advertisement –
Source link
Rico
