At the beginning of 2021, almost all free charging stations for electric cars in Poland ceased to exist. In their place, paid chargers appeared, the price tag of which quite worried owners of Teslas and other electrics. Are free charging stations for electric cars in our country a thing of the past? Or do not all commercial outlets yet require charges?
Free electric car charging stations - how do they work?
Not so long ago, just two years ago, the answer to the question "is charging an electric car free?" would have been yes. In 2020, most electric vehicle charging stations were, unlike standard petrol, diesel or gas distributors, completely free. We are talking here about the largest energy and fuel suppliers in the country. This all changed in 2021, with the operators introducing service pricing in their devices and apps. Previously, all you had to do was plug the relevant cable into the electrician's socket and possibly confirm the process with a single click on the app on your phone.
Nowadays, you should check the prices per kWh of the individual chargers along your route long before you arrive at the station. Free car charging is rare in Poland. This opportunity is most often available in the centres of large cities, in the car parks of shops and retail chains or at company headquarters. The possibility of charging the car in such cases is usually limited for customers and employees. In addition, most of the free stations prefer the AC type of charging with much lower power than DC, which makes the time to refuel to a full tank significantly longer.
Are there free charging stations for electric cars in Poland?
Free charging points for electric cars in Poland today are very difficult to find. Most of the maps showing the location of chargers are not able to indicate at which available stations you will meet devices made available for free. You will find most free charging points for electric cars in Poland at car parks.
However, this does not mean that the process of filling up your car at one of these types of facilities will cost you nothing. Most parking areas have their own price list for the time you use the yard. As you know, it can take up to several hours to fill an electric car up to full (with lower power banks). If your parking costs are quite high, you may find it relatively cheaper to use the paid car charger network in Poland.
Types of free charging stations for electric cars
Free electric stations are usually limited to AC-type chargers only. The power of the current that flows from them can reach a maximum of close to 43 kW. Depending on the capacity of the car's battery, charging even at the fastest charging station in Poland, which is based on alternating current, can take up to several hours. The result is unimpressive compared to DC-type chargers capable of reaching up to 100 kWh of power.
What's more, places for free charging of electric cars are usually besieged by drivers looking to save as much as possible. The slow car charging taking place at such electric stations in Poland can create sizable queues. In addition, the number of free chargers is decreasing faster every year. In the near future, the answer to the question "where to charge an electric car for free" may unfortunately be "nowhere".
Charging costs for electric cars
Prices at different electric car stations can vary depending on the power of the charger in question and the energy provider. These range from less than one zloty to almost three zloty per kWh. Furthermore, some operators also apply charges based on charging time. Depending on the company, the additional costs can be as much as 40 cents per minute.
For many people in Europe, including Poland, it may be most cost-effective to charge their car at home. Tariff agreements such as the standard G11, for example, make it possible to draw electricity at really low prices. Assuming that we pay 60 groszy for 1 kWh, charging an energy-efficient electric city car can cost as little as 9 PLN per 100 kilometres. For comparison, the average fuel consumption of combustion vehicles over such a distance is 8 litres. If we assume that the price per litre is 7 PLN, it may turn out that electrics are even six times cheaper!
