The Kfar Saba municipality will deploy a network of 500 charging points for electric cars on the city streets, sources inform "Globes." In contrast to other cities, Kfar Saba is deploying its network throughout the city, not in a limited area. The charging points will use alternating current (AC) with a 22 kilowatt-hour capacity, except for two speedier stations with 50 kilowatt-hour capacity. The points will be in municipal parking lots and on sidewalks, and are designed to encourage residents wthout their own parking spaces to buy electric cars.
The municipality's NIS 15 million tender was jointly won by charging point importer EV Edge, a subsidiary of George Horesh's Union Motors group, and Milgam, owner of advanced parking services company Pango.
40 stations will be installed in all parts of the city in the first stage. According to the municipality's forecast, 40% of usage time will be by Kfar Saba residents through permanent arrangements, 20% by companies through permanent arrangements, 10% by the municipality's vehicles, and 20% by occasional customers.
The Kfar Saba municipality says that deployment of the points follows a comprehensive analysis of the demand for charging. This is why Kfar Saba is starting with full, albeit gradual, deployment of the points without a pilot. The charging plan is part of a large-scale plan for a transition to cleaner transportation and reducing the use of cars. Rental electric cars will later be offered, and measures will be taken to encourage the use of light transportation, such as e-scooters, while public transportation will be made more efficient.
Kfar Saba's charging tender is regarded as a difficult one for companies marketing and installing charging stations, because it requires infrastructure and digging work and obtaining permits. This is the reason that some of the large companies in the sector did not bid in it.
Tel Aviv and Kfar Saba are the only two cities planning a municipal charging network without help from the Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy, and Water Resources. The ministry recently published the winners in three tenders for installing charging stations in cities, shopping and leisure centers, and companies. The winners will receive grants totaling NIS 12 million.
The stations in cities subsidized by the Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy, and Water Resources are scheduled to begin operating in 2020, after the local authorities select the company to build and operate them in the tender. The ministry is providing 65-75% of the cost of installing the charging stations, depending on the local authority's socioeconomic status. Support for the Jerusalem municipal tender is larger - a NIS 1 million grant for building 100 charging stations.
Another tender was won by nine employers, who will receive subsidies totaling NIS 2 million for installing charging stations in parking lots for their employees. 940 charging stations will be installed in this sector.
The Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy, and Water Resources' most recent tender was for shopping and leisure centers. Nine companies were selected for installing a total of 812 stations at 148 sites. Among other things, stations will be installed in parking lots and shopping centers in Tel Aviv, including the Azrieli Center and Ha-Arba'a Parking; the Grand Canyon mall in Beer Sheva, Cinema City in Jerusalem, the Shfayim Shopping Center, and the Bilu Junction shopping center. EV Edge will install 150 of these stations, parking lot company Central Park 130, Gnrgy 128, and Sonol group subsidiary EVI 118. Other companies will also install stations.
The large number of companies indicates great interest, but is also liable to create a problem for electric car owners. Charging on various networks sometimes requires buying a subscription, and it is possible that a subscriber to one company will be unable to charge his or her care at a station belonging to another network, in contrast with what is currently happening at filling stations. Sources inform "Globes" that the Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy, and Water Resources published a request for information (RFI) for selection of an application and an "information layer" on maps that will make it possible to locate charging stations of various companies. At this stage, however, there are no plans for uniform clearance of charging stations or regulations requiring the companies to allow charging by occasional customers, so the large supply of charging stations is liable to prove a barrier to adoption of electric cars.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on June 20, 2019
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