Iberdrola will implement up to 150,000 electric car charging points in Spain.

The electricity company will invest up to 150 million euros to install charging points, in its commitment to electrifying transport

The electricity company Iberdrola has announced in a press release that it will install up to 150,000 charging points for electric cars thanks to an estimated investment of around 150 million euros. This plan, which will be implemented over the next five years, will have Spain as its main focus, although it also plans to “expand” its actions to other markets where it has a presence, such as the United Kingdom, Portugal and Italy.

This plan aims to significantly increase the current 2,000 electric vehicle charging points and does so after a reconsideration of the roadmap itself, multiplying its objective by six in this first five years of the decade. To this end, the installation of these chargers will be encouraged in homes, companies, urban roads, cities and main roads and highways in the country.

Taking into account that all of this will respond to the country’s own demand pattern and needs, Iberdrola has set as a priority ultra-fast stations (350 kW) every 200 kilometers, super-fast stations (150 kW) every 100 kilometers, and fast stations (50 kW) every 50 kilometers.

Likewise, the electricity company states that “Electric car users who use Iberdrola’s sustainable mobility infrastructure recharge with 100% green energy, from clean generation sources that have renewable origin guarantee certificates (GdOs).”

How does a fast charging station work for electric vehicles?

First of all, it is important to keep in mind that what we know as fast charging stations operate with a power equal to or greater than 50 kW, that is, in direct current. This is why, in order for our car to charge, we are going to require more elements than we would find in a domestic or low-power charger.

Thus, the electricity reaches the electric charging station through the electrical network supplied by the supplier. This is where we will differentiate three main elements for charging our vehicle:

• Transformation center, including the connection to the medium voltage network.
• Power converter cabinet.
• Charging post.

Let’s go with the first one. The transformer station will be responsible for connecting the charging points to the medium-voltage grid, complying with the regulations required by the electricity distributor to whose grid they will be connected, and for transforming the electricity from the medium-voltage grid to low-voltage. Why is this important? Because it guarantees the operation of the rest of the elements that will ensure the charging of the electric vehicle and because it is, in turn, a fundamental point from the point of view of safety.

In addition, the transformation centers more advanced offer operating companies remote data that allows them to know the consumption, usage trends, status of the network and its elements, allowing them to operate and maintain their network of charging stations more efficiently. All of this guarantees that there is energy available to the different users.

Once the voltage is low, it is time for the second element of the equation to come into operation: it is the turn of the power converter cabinet. This set of equipment fulfills the function of adapting electricity, which arrives in alternating current, to direct current, which is what the batteries of electric vehicles accept.

Now, that the voltage is low and the current is direct, it is the turn of the most well-known element: the charging post. These posts, with an appearance and functions similar to the pumps we find at any gas station, only in this case the energy is electrical, are responsible for transmitting power to our car.

In addition, they allow us to know the energy that the “electrolinera” is capable of supplying us, the energy that our battery is capable of absorbing, the temperature conditions of the battery and an approximation of the charging time, in addition to payment management. In short, in addition to providing us with energy through the cable, they are our interpreter so that the charger and the vehicle understand each other and we can choose the best charging option.