Dutch experts Matthijs Kok, Developer E-mobility and New Energy of the City of Utrecht, and Baerte De Brey from the ElaadNL platform spent two intensive days in Slovakia in early December at the invitation of SEVA, packed with an interesting programme and sharing experiences with the construction and operation of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in cities. They delivered a clear message: clean air in cities is not a privilege, but the result of systematic work with transport, energy and public space. Their experience shows that even the rapid development of electromobility can be managed without congestion and chaos on the streets – if the country and cities have a clear strategy. SEVA, together with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Slovakia, has created a space to bring this experience from Utrecht and other Dutch cities directly to Slovak partners.
The rich programme of our distinguished guests started with a meeting of the Infrastructure Working Group. The discussion focused on planning public charging infrastructure, cooperation with distribution companies and practical setup of operational models. Matthijs Kok presented the approach of the city of Utrecht, which with a high proportion of on-street parking is building a dense network of public charging points so that all EV drivers have the option of convenient charging within walking distance. An interesting finding was that the average AC charging time on the streets of Utrecht is up to around 14 hours – a large number of available charging points are therefore needed for operation without the worry of unparking the vehicle when charging is finished. Baerte De Brey added how smart charging and V2G fit into this picture and what is needed to make these technologies ready for mass deployment as well.
Smart charging allows charging to be managed so that cars are charged at times when there is plenty of capacity and renewable energy available on the grid, and vice versa to reduce load during peak times. V2G (vehicle-to-grid) takes this concept even further: thanks to the two-way flow of energy, the vehicle becomes a flexible resource that can temporarily return part of the energy back to the grid or to the building when needed. From the perspective of cities, this means that EVs do not have to be a threat to the stability of the grid, but can become an active stabilising element.
On Tuesday 9 December, guests led an expert workshop at the Dutch Embassy in Slovakia, focusing on Slovak cities, municipalities and institutions. We used concrete examples to show how the political ambition of a “zero-emission” zone can be translated into a concrete charging map, timeline and investment model. Discussions included how to set up a dialogue between the city, charging service operators and energy companies, what data to collect and monitor, and where the most common “bottlenecks” are – from permitting processes to grid limits. For cities, it was a valuable detailed look at how a public charging network can function as an integral part of urban mobility and energy policy.
Matthijs Kok and Baerte De Brey also accepted an invitation to our podcast studio, where we recorded a separate episode of the FULL STREAM podcast with each of them. In the interviews, we went even deeper into topics that resonated in the face-to-face meetings – from practical steps in implementing smart charging to how to explain the changes to residents and gain their support. Listeners will thus have the opportunity to hear directly from the source what works in the Netherlands and what countries that are at the beginning of a similar journey should avoid.
SEVA, in cooperation with partners, brings cutting-edge know-how to Slovakia and translates it into a real dialogue between cities, energy professionals, business and the professional public. We are not just observers of trends, but an active partner looking for solutions adapted to domestic conditions. We warmly thank the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Slovakia for their close cooperation and our member, T.O.P. Auto for the loan of the Volvo EX30 electric car, which enabled us to take care of our precious guests in comfort. Volvo in particular was one of the first car companies to launch V2G in practice, and they plan to offer it as standard on their new models wherever the service is rolled out in the market. If you want to experience what it’s like to ride in a Volvo electric car, as our guests have experienced first-hand, book a test drive.
We believe that the experience from the Netherlands will help Slovak cities take the next step towards making electromobility and modern charging a natural part of everyday life and making clean air in Slovak cities a reality instead of a vision.