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, as part of 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 carried out over the next five years, will primarily focus on Spain, although it also contemplates expanding its operations 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, following a revised roadmap that aims to multiply its target sixfold in the first five years of the decade. To achieve this, the installation of these chargers will be promoted in homes, businesses, urban areas, cities, and along the country’s main roads and highways.

Taking into account that all of this will respond to the country’s own demand pattern and needs, Iberdrola prioritizes 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 (GOs).”

How does a fast charging station for electric vehicles work?

First of all, it is important to keep in mind that what we know asfast charging stationsThey operate at a power output of 50 kW or higher, meaning they use direct current. Therefore, to charge our car, we will need more components than we would find in a standard home or low-power charger.

Thus, electricity reaches the charging station through the electrical grid supplied by the provider. Here we will distinguish three main elements for charging our vehicle:

• Transformation center, including connection to the Medium voltage network.
• Power converter cabinet.
• Loading post.

Let’s start with the first one. The transformer substation will be responsible for connecting the charging points to the medium-voltage network, complying with the regulations required by the electricity distributor to whose network it will be connected, and for transforming the electricity from the medium-voltage network to low voltage. Why is this point important? Because it guarantees the operability of the other elements that will ensure the electric vehicle is charged, and because it is also a fundamental point from a safety perspective.

Furthermore,the most advanced transformer substationsThey provide operating companies with remote data that allows them to understand consumption patterns, usage trends, and the status of the network and its components, enabling them to operate and maintain their network of charging stations more efficiently. All of this ensures that energy is available to all users.

Once the voltage is low, it’s time for the second element of the equation to come into play: the power converter cabinet. This set of equipment adapts the incoming alternating current (AC) electricity to direct current (DC), which is what electric vehicle batteries can handle.

Now that the voltage is low and the current is direct current, it’s time to talk about the most familiar element: the charging station. These stations, with an appearance and function similar to the pumps found at any gas station, only in this case the energy is electrical, are responsible for transmitting the energy to our car.

Furthermore, these devices allow us to know the energy the charging station can supply, the energy our battery can absorb, the battery’s temperature, and an estimated charging time, as well as manage payment. In short, besides providing the energy through the cable, they act as our interpreter, enabling the charger and the vehicle to communicate and allowing us to choose the best charging option.