Type of charging infrastructure
Type of charging infrastructure
In the Netherlands, types of charging infrastructure are differentiated by their accessibility and charging speed.
Accessibility: public, semi-public, and private
We differentiate between three types of charging infrastructure:
- Public charging infrastructure is located in public spaces. The land is owned by the municipality, which authorizes the market operator to install charging infrastructure or install the charging infrastructure itself. The locations are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and are accessible to all. Users do not need permission to use them.
Public charging locations typically have their own grid connection with one specific energy supplier.
- Semi-public charging infrastructure is located on private land. The owner makes it available to third parties so that they can use it for charging. Users do not need permission to use it. Access to semi-public recharging points may be restricted due to parking times or opening hours. This includes, for example, recharging points in multi-storey car parks, hospitality establishments, shopping centres or petrol stations.
The recharging points are usually connected to an existing electrical installation and/or grid connection belonging to the landowner, and the electricity is often supplied through an existing contract. A separate grid connection or a separate supply point fed from an existing grid connection is also possible, so that energy is supplied through a different contract.
- Private charging infrastructure is located on private land. These recharging points are not accessible to the public; the owner or user of the land decides who can use them. This could therefore be a charging station at a house or on a (private) business park.
Charging speed: regular and fast charging
Charging speed is also an important distinction. A regular recharging point has a maximum charging capacity of 22 kW. Whether this maximum can be reached depends on the electric car. Many electric cars have a maximum charging capability of 11 kW. At this charging speed, it takes a few hours before the battery is charged. This is often not a problem, as these chargers are installed in regular parking areas, where cars park for at least a few hours. Regular recharging points are usually what is known as alternating current (AC) chargers. These chargers use alternating current from the grid. This is converted by the electric car itself into direct current, which is used to charge the battery.
A fast recharging point has a higher charging capacity, up to as much as 350 kW. At this charging speed, an electric car receives enough charge within a few minutes and at most an hour. Fast chargers are direct current (DC) chargers.
The schedule of requirements does not currently contain any minimum or policy-specific requirements for fast chargers. They are subject to separate requirements.
Things to consider
Before contracting with a market operator for the installation (and management and operation) of charging infrastructure, it is necessary to identify the type of charging infrastructure required. The table below sets out these considerations, including example guidelines and text to include in the necessary documents.