Electric Vehicles Charging Services Perspectives and Challenges

The year 2023 marked another breakthrough in electromobility. Customers accept electric powertrain; sales of battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles are booming and public charging infrastructure follows the similar pace. However, the leading European independent charging stations operators, despite the significant public funding utilized for financing their expansion activities are still experiencing losses, as a result of their operation. Generally, current research work in area of electric vehicle charging is rather focused on specific and rather technical aspects of charging infrastructure operations, like optimization of charger locations, connection to energy networks and operational excellence. Very few authors are focusing on core business essentials of charging infrastructure operation, in particular on sustainability of their operations. Within this paper author conducted financial analyses of selected charging infrastructure operator in Europe, compared the conclusions with its peers. Furthermore, this paper has an ambition to perform synthesis (after thorough review and analysis of relevant information sources) of different aspects of e-mobility ecosystem to conclude innovative recommendations. The main result of this paper is the recommendation for the charging infrastructure operators to adjust their strategies and respective business models in terms to make a move towards slow charging world, by building and operating Vehicle to Grid equipped infrastructure as a supplement to fast chargers’ network. Sooner charging infrastructure operators will develop their competences in Vehicle to Grid world the better, mainly for two reasons. Firstly, it is very probable that Vehicle to Grid market will jump on fast track very soon. Not only from technology point of view, but also from services provided/expected from customers. Secondly, in Vehicle to Grid connected ecosystem lays needed tens or even hundreds of millions EUR opportunities which will be waiting for Electric Vehicle´s owners and any subjects which can facilitate and instrument interconnection between energy network’s needs – auxiliary services, storage of electricity, integration of renewable energy sources and traction batteries of Electric Vehicles.