As of last week, there is one more electric car charging network in Latvia, as the fuel trader Neste has opened its first charging station. This station is located in Riga, Lucavsalas gas station 1 and offers four charging points with a total capacity of up to 300kW.
The first electric car charging station in Neste at the end of 2022 found in Finland and currently Neste has the most extensive charging network in this country. Another 20 charging stations are expected to open in Finland this year. Last year, Neste started offering this service in the Baltic countries as well, and the first charging stations were opened in Estonia (Tallinn), Lithuania (Pasvalys) and now also in Latvia.
Charges are paid at Neste stations using the Neste mobile app. We can add our payment card (Apple Pay is also supported), as well as the Neste card for individuals or companies. Only in the case of companies, attention should be paid to the activation of the electricity charge service for the relevant card in the Neste extranet. When the Neste app is ready to work, we will be able to use it to pay for recharges in the Neste network outside Latvia as well. I will be able to confirm this soon on my upcoming trip with a used electric car to Zakopane.
Armands Beiziķis, Chairman of the Neste Latvija Board, said in a conversation with Kursors.lv that the Riga station was launched in about a year, and that the installation of the electrical connection took the most time. Lucavsalas DUS was chosen because this gas station is very convenient for business customers and private individuals and there is a lot of space for the convenient installation of a charging station. The total investment in the installation of this toll station is around 300 thousand euros.
Neste plans to continue investing in the development of electromobility, planning to invest up to 3 million euros in the next three years, opening three to four new charging stations per year. It is expected that in the future the total capacity of each next new charging station could reach 600 kW, if the appropriate electrical connection capacity is available in the specific location. The next Neste electric car stations in Latvia will be opened in Ainaži, Iecava and Riga (Mārupe and Purvciem). Neste follows what is happening in the energy market and, if necessary, it will also be able to change the speed of the electricity.
Let’s start testing the charging station!
Although I do not live on the left bank of the Daugava, getting to Neste Lucavsalas DUS did not cause any problems. This station is well thought out and easily accessible from all directions. As we approach DUS, we can see the new charging station in a short distance.
The charging equipment of the Finnish company Kempower is located at the special station, and is not only seen in Latvia by other charging operators in Latvia, but they are also highly valued. I am glad that Neste has chosen a good technical partner. The charging station has four different chargers and will have enough space (and power) to charge four cars at the same time. Such large charging stations are still rare in Latvia. I will note that the four charging plugs are CCS type and this information is also indicated in the Neste app.
The chargers themselves have information on how to carry out the charging process and how to pay, as well as the available charging capabilities displayed on the charger’s display. If our car is more fashionable, we get up to 200kW charging power, but for everything else (400V cars) charging power is up to 100kW. This is, of course, if other cars are not already being picked up at the station. In this case, the available charging capacity is shared among all charging cars.
As mentioned above, charging and payment are initiated by the Neste mobile app. There, we can easily create an account with Smart-ID and add paymentor Neste cards. In the application itself, we can select charging stations in map or list format, as well as get more information about them.
To start charging, we choose the station, the specific charging plug and indicate the payment method, as well as the maximum amount we want to charge. At the beginning of charging, this specified amount will be saved from the card, and after the end of the charging process, payment will be made for the amount of energy spent for charging.
When the charging process takes place, we can follow it both on the charger display and on our phone. To do this, you need to scan the QR code displayed on the display of the charger. Anyway, you will be able to open this link on your computer afterwards and check the entire charging process. We can see that in the special test cost mine used electric car capable of developing 68kW charging power. With respect!
We can stop the charging process both from the charger itself and from the Neste mobile app. In it, we can also clearly see the charging duration, the amount of loaded energy and the price. We will receive a receipt in the app after the repayment is completed. In honor of the opening of the new station, Neste offers a starting price of 0.29 EUR / kWh to business and private customers.
Armands Beiziķis, Chairman of the Neste Latvija Board, said that work is currently underway to ensure that it will be possible to pay for expenses directly with a payment card in the near future. Pay stations will be near the chargers.
A great start, now we just have to keep going
I am glad that another electric car charging network is finally available in Latvia as well. Even if the specific situation of Riga is not the most relevant for me, I am glad that the next Neste charging stations will be located on the Via Baltica highway and I will be able to charge quickly when I will go to Estonia or Lithuania. Although it is in the US Tesla is already opening Supercharger charger with 200 chargers, in the situation of Latvia, a charging station with four separate chargers and a total charging capacity of 300kW is currently more suitable. We simply don’t have that many electric cars yet. And in the next stations, Neste expects more capacity, which can only please. The beginning is good, now we just have to continue the work that has been well started!
2024-04-15 13:00:00
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