With the aim of trying to safeguard the planet, electric mobility is becoming a powerful alternative due to its lower environmental impact by being able to travel with the least polluting vehicles. This is why it is necessary to start familiarizing ourselves with new terms, among which the term “electric filling station” stands out for the necessary electric recharging of vehicles.
Operation of the electrolinera
An electrolinera is nothing more than a service station with rest areas, cafeteria and toilets, just like a gas station, as well as charging stations for electric and hybrid vehicles, with various plug-in fast-charging sockets installed on the premises. They usually operate on a self-service basis, paying for the electric energy used for recharging, and with facilities that allow a pleasant wait while the vehicle is being recharged. Gradually they will multiply due to the already significant increase in this type of vehicles.
Recharging times of a car at an electric station
The recharging time is totally variable depending on the type of battery, the supply charging power and the most common charging modes, which are as follows:
- Slow mode. Recharging time between 4 and 8 hours. It is a single-phase charge with alternating current. Maximum intensity of 16 A, voltage of 230 V and maximum charging power of 3.7 kW.
- Semi-fast mode (Wallbox). Recharging time between 1 and 3 hours, with a typical intensity of 32 A, with single-phase charging. Maximum power of 7.4 kW, with three-phase charging, current up to 63 A and power up to 43 kW.
- Fast mode. Charging time is approximately 30-40 minutes and requires a minimum power of 50 kW.
- Ultra-fast mode. Recharging time between 5 and 15 minutes as it can supply up to 350 kW. These are the most professional recharging points that are expected to be the most common in the electric stations. In this mode, in less than half an hour the direct current is capable of charging batteries to 80% (about 20 minutes to recharge more than 100 km of autonomy).
Estimated prices for recharging at the electro-lane stations
It is obvious that the price per kW/h is variable and the price of application at the electric filling stations is also conditioned by the service station and the charging mode used. There are alternatives to always pay the same price (subscription payments) or to contract a specific electric mobility tariff. As a reference, recharges usually range between €0.15 per kW/h in normal mode and €0.79 in ultra-fast mode. To calculate the total recharge price, the battery capacity and the price per kW/h to be applied must be taken into account. Multiplying these two values we can understand the total price of each recharge.
Electro-lighting stations in Spain: How many are there and where are they located?
Spain is really still in low numbers in terms of public recharging points, which are already estimated at just over 20,000, although the plans for growth in the coming years are important in all energy suppliers. ANFAC (Spanish Association of Automobile and Truck Manufacturers) has carried out a Map of Public Access Charging Infrastructure in Spain, detecting 20,243 charging points, a figure that changes daily and which is far from the more than 111,000 charging points in the Netherlands or the 87,674 in Germany.
Of course, not all recharging points are in an electro-power station as there are many points located individually although they are also for public use. It is currently estimated that in Spain there will be between 9,000 and 10,000 electric charging stations by the end of 2023, which is still too few for future needs.
As for their location, the electrolineras are located throughout the national territory, with Catalonia being the autonomous community with the largest number of electrolineras, although the 5 autonomous communities with the most charging points for electric vehicles are as follows:
- Catalonia: 4,955
- Madrid: 2,537
- Valencia: 2,308
- Andalusia: 2,274
- Canary Islands: 1,026