Electric cars and homeowners are hitting it off
If you are planning to purchase a home charger, now is the ideal time to do so, says Viljar Kont, Head of E-Mobility at Enefit Estonia. Photo: Jarek Jõepera
A decade ago, the first charging points started to be built in Estonia, whereas today we can already see a lot of electric cars on our roads. Public charging infrastructure has also developed significantly, encompassing hundreds of charging points across the country, including fast chargers, which allow electric car owners to travel conveniently both shorter and longer distances.
The Enefit Volt charging network alone currently includes a total of 610 public charging stations, or 1,220 charging connectors. Of these, 245 are located in Estonia, 63 in Latvia, 232 in Lithuania and 70 in Poland. By the end of this year, we plan to expand the network to nearly 2,000 charging connectors.
The success of electric cars so far is due to several factors: technological advances, increasing environmental awareness and government support have made both cars and charging significantly more accessible. An increasing number of electric car owners are also installing a home charging station, making charging even more convenient, easy and affordable. Let me explain in more detail the benefits a home charging solution has for homeowners.
From history to the present day
Electric cars have existed since the 19th century, but their mass production and popularity have only grown in recent decades. One major breakthrough came in 2008, when Tesla launched the first electric car with sufficient range and performance to compete with cars with internal combustion engines. Since then, electric vehicle technology has made great progress.
Today’s electric cars can travel an average of 400–600 kilometres on a single charge, which is enough to cover most people’s daily driving needs. Together with the expanding charging infrastructure, this helps reduce range anxiety – the fear of being stranded due to battery depletion – associated with electric cars.
Sustainability and incentives
However, technological progress is not the only reason – people’s environmental awareness has simultaneously increased. The negative impact of fossil fuel vehicles on the environment, from air pollution to climate change, has become increasingly clear. Electric cars provide a solution: they do not directly produce emissions, and if renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind energy, are used for charging, their carbon footprint is significantly smaller. For example, Enefit Volt’s public charging points use 100% green energy.
The government and politicians have also played an important role in promoting the adoption of electric cars. Compared to cars with internal combustion engines, driving an electric car has several advantages: for example, electric cars can park for free in Tallinn city centre and use bus lanes, which helps avoid traffic jams and reach the desired destination faster.
The state also provides various subsidies to electric car buyers that help cover part of the vehicle’s cost. For example, the Environmental Investment Centre (EIC) is currently offering a grant for purchasing zero-emission vehicles, which allows Estonian residents to receive a grant of 4,000 euros for the purchase of an electric car.
Smart solutions for homeowners
Homeowners in particular can benefit from owning an electric car if they purchase a home charging station. While a vehicle that runs on gasoline or diesel fuel must be taken to a gas station for refuelling, having a personal charging station allows you to charge your car at any time conveniently and effortlessly. Thus, owning an electric car is much more convenient.
Enefit home chargers come with a smart charging app that monitors electricity exchange prices and schedules charging for the most affordable hours. This is a simple but effective way to save up to 50% on monthly charging costs and ultimately reduce the cost of owning an electric car.
The average energy consumption of an electric car is 20 kWh/100 km, while the average fuel consumption of a diesel car is 6 litres/100 km. Assuming an electricity price of 0.15 euros/kWh and a diesel price of 1.5 euros/l, the cost of charging an electric car is almost three times lower than the cost of fuelling a diesel car. By using the Enefit Volt smart charging app to charge your electric car at home, the charging cost is again reduced twofold. In summary, to travel 100 km you would spend 9 euros with a diesel car and 1.40 euros with a smartly charged electric car.
The home charger can also be conveniently integrated into your home energy consumption system. For example, if the house is equipped with solar panels, the electric car can be charged using solar energy. This not only saves money, but also makes the electrical system of the entire building more sustainable.
Special offer for instalments
If you are planning to purchase a home charger, now is the perfect time! From Enefit you can get an Autel home charger with a smart charging app for 12 months with 0% interest and a €0 contract fee. The offer is valid until 30.06.2025.
You can learn more about all the charging options on our website. If you want more information or have any other questions, we will be happy to help. To contact us, write to [email protected], call 777 4040 or leave a request for a consultation at www.enefit.ee/konsultatsioon.
Author: Viljar Kont, Head of E-Mobility at Enefit Estonia