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Estonia installs “world’s first nationwide fast-charging network
February 21, 2013
Estonia installs “world’s first nationwide fast-charging network
Estonia has become what is thought to be the world’s first country to launch a nationwide fast-charging network for electric vehicles.
The Baltic state flicked the switch on 165 web-connected direct current (DC) chargers provided by Swiss firm ABB. Each can recharge an electric vehicle in just 15-30 minutes, a fraction of the eight hours standard chargers typically require. The chargers have been fitted with more than 5,000 inhabitants and on major roads throughout the small Baltic country, creating what is likely to be the highest concentration of DC chargers in Europe.
Ulrich Spiesshofer, head of ABB’s discrete automation and motion division, said the network would not only encourage motorists to switch to electric vehicles, but also “motivate other countries to invest in their own charging infrastructure.”
Alongside the recharging network, Estonia also offers subsidies of up to 50 percent of the purchase price of electric vehicles to encourage adoption.
Read more at BusinessGreen.
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