What is the Geography of EV Stations?

Davit Iosava, the general director of E-space, discussed the charging trends for electric vehicles (EVs) during the BMGTV program "Business Morning." He mentioned that around 60-70 chargers have been installed in Tbilisi, with 10 of them being fast chargers.

"Both the number of electric cars and charging stations is increasing. While the growth isn't exactly proportional, there's growing interest in EVs, with new companies emerging. My hope is that the geographical spread of charging stations, currently concentrated in Tbilisi, will extend beyond the capital. When we talk about incentives, there hasn’t been much government support. For the past year, there’s been a program to halve connection fees, but this only covers initial installation costs. Following that, tariffs are higher for companies, which significantly increases the payback period because the technology is expensive."

Demand for chargers in residential complexes has also been rising. 

"However, when one charger goes offline, it causes chaos because many people rely on that single charger. Ideally, one charger should become ten to meet demand and prevent dependency on just one."

The HoReCa (hotel, restaurant, and café) sector has also shown interest in charging infrastructure. 

"When planning for one charger, wiring for five chargers is often installed to reduce future costs. For example, using a 60 kW charger for 20 to 30 minutes costs about **15 to 20 GEL. Compared to global rates, we are close to Norway," - Iosava noted.

He emphasized that introducing preferential tariffs for companies, even for just one year, would encourage more investment in the sector and make such projects more attractive.

"Our biggest challenge is with high-rise buildings. Not everyone has a garage to install their own charger, so many people rely on public chargers."

He also pointed out that the number of electric cars in Georgia is growing, with around 100 electric cars being imported each month. 

"The cost of cars has also increased. If the infrastructure doesn't keep pace, this could become a bottleneck. It's a barrier because people are buying cars that they can't charge or are forced to wait in queues. For newer cars, 50 kW charging is insufficient; they require 100-150 kW, which is quite expensive. We need incentive programs or preferential rates. Even a one-year preferential tariff program could make a big difference," - Iosava concluded.