Demand for electric vehicles, which consume less and are more environmentally friendly, is rapidly increasing in the Albanian market. However, the infrastructure for charging these vehicles is still lacking to support the growing number of such vehicles in circulation.
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| Some electric cars charging (archive) |
The presence of electric vehicles is on the rise. Data from the General Directorate of Road Transport Services show that in just the first 4 months of the year, eco-friendly vehicles have experienced a 92% increase compared to the same period last year.
According to the data, "All Electric" vehicles, those powered solely by electricity with 0 kilometers, make up 16.9% of the total imported cars, an increase of 7% compared to those imported last year. In April, the fleet of all-electric vehicles was 4,120.
As for hybrid cars, registrations show there are 1529 such vehicles, 99% more than January-April of the previous year.
It seems clear that the demand for electric cars is rapidly increasing in the local market. The low consumption and economic nature of these vehicles compared to traditional cars have increased the demand for rechargeable cars. However, the problem remains the lack of charging stations.
In the annual report of the energy regulatory entity, it is found that for 2023, a total of 26 new charging points for electric cars have been installed. In Durrës, there are 2 with an installed capacity of 250 kW, while in Tirana, there are a total of 26 contracts with an installed capacity of 2565 kW.
The limited number of charging units constitutes an infrastructure problem for the electric car market, as stated in the report, which slows down their spread.