Estonian government, ABB and KredEx announced the first public installation of an ABB Terra 51 DC fast charging station for electric vehicles in Estonia.
The fast charger is located at the Innovation Center in Tallinn and is the first of 200 chargers that will be installed at multiple locations throughout the country comprising the world’s first nationwide network of Terra 51 DC fast chargers.
The location of an additional 168 confirmed and contracted locations of DC fast chargers for highway and inner city use were also announced, including 27 fast charging points in Tallinn, 10 in Tartu, 4 in Pärnu and 2 in Narva. The project including the installation of the remaining 31 fast chargers is scheduled to be completed by the fall of 2012.
A list outlining the locations of all DC fast charging points can be found at http://bit.ly/zqoIXk .
Creating the world’s first complete EV charging infrastructure of this magnitude is significant as it supports the proliferation of electric vehicles and most importantly, demonstrates the viability of driving an electric vehicle by providing drivers convenient access to state-of-the-art charging infrastructure clearly reducing “range anxiety”, a common concern associated with EV ownership.
To stimulate the adoption of EVs the Estonian government has bought 507 Mitsubishi IMiEV electric vehicles for its own fleet and offers substantial incentives on the purchase price of an EV for consumers.
ABB will also provide network operating support services (NOC) and the backbone IT architecture which provides each web-connected charger with a full range of connectivity features, including remote assistance, management and servicing and smart software upgradeability. ABB will also create a regional competence center to transfer the knowledge and expertise necessary to install and service the chargers between ABB and local engineers. ABB won the original tender together with its partners G4S and NOW! Innovations, which will provide first-line customer support and payment solutions.
KredEx is a state-owned financial institution helping to improve the financing possibilities of Estonian enterprises, managing credit risks and enabling people to build or renovate their homes.
