Demand in the city's public charging point network, operated by B:SM, confirms how the transition to electric cars is gaining new followers. Users have grown to 12,900, more than double the 5,400 a year ago. "These figures show that the use of electric vehicles continues to gain strength in Barcelona," says the first deputy mayor and president of B:SM, Jaume Collboni.
This increase has been accompanied by a record in the total number of monthly recharges, exceeding for the first time an average of 8,100 during the first semester. Specifically, between January and June, the Endolla Barcelona network has registered 48,800 electric vehicle recharges, with a growth of 48% compared to the same period last year, when 33,000 occurred.
The consumption registered during the first semester has meant the supply of 479,000 kWh, 87% more than a year ago. Growth has occurred mainly in the number and duration of electric car recharges that occur at Endolla Barcelona points on the street, with 50% more. These chargers are designed for emergencies, to serve those drivers who need to fill the vehicle's battery while on a journey, and are fast charging, meaning that in less than an hour the car can be back on the road.
The chargers that Endolla Barcelona installs on the street represent only 25% of the total offer, mostly concentrated in the more than 40 car parks that B:SM has distributed throughout the city. Consumption at charging points in car parks, which was free until January last year, has grown somewhat less during this first semester, with an increase of 42%. This type of charger is mainly aimed at Barcelonians who want to have an electric car, but do not have a place to install a charging point at home, either because they do not have parking or leave the car on the street. At these points, more time is required, generally all night, and therefore, they have more competitive prices.
B:SM's electromobility network has more than 650 public chargers installed in the Catalan capital, the highest figure compared to other Spanish cities and comparable to the main European cities. Between January and June, five new charging points have been installed on the street and before the end of the year, fifty more will be installed in B:SM car parks.
In this regard, the City Council is executing an ambitious expansion plan for public chargers, investing 12 million euros to expand them. Until now, five million euros had been allocated to the development of this network. The new investment will allow, before 2024, to reach about 3,300 charging points. Specifically, 400 new chargers will be added, bringing the total to 1,000. The remaining 2,300 will only be pre-installed, meaning the wiring ---the most complicated part--- will be laid, but not the charging point itself. Doing so allows for flexibility while demand is not fully encouraged, considering that charging point technology evolves rapidly and would become obsolete without having been used.