On Tuesday, construction began on a charging hub for electric vehicles on the country's main highway, Vilnius–Kaunas–Klaipėda. The project is being built at kilometre 156 of the highway. According to Tomas Tamašauskas, Head of Eldrive Lithuania, as many as 40 electric vehicles will be able to charge at the same time once the charging hub is fully equipped, and it is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2025.
T. Tamašauskas says the charging hub will occupy a total of 1.5 ha of land: “A 318-square-metre building will be constructed, housing Caffeine and Narvesen cafés, rest and work areas and toilets. In the first phase of the project, ten 200 kW stations will be installed, with a total of 20 ultra-high-power charging points that will help drivers charge their vehicles quickly and without queues and continue their journeys. Each station will also be ready for a power upgrade to 400 kW, which we will carry out according to market needs. In the next phase, the implementation of which will depend on market conditions and the growth of the electric vehicle fleet in the country, a further 20 ultra-high-power charging points and several stations for heavy-duty vehicles or buses will be installed.”
The head of Eldrive says that more than two million euros will be invested in the new charging hub: “This modern charging hub, located in a strategically convenient place, will allow electric vehicle drivers to travel without worry from Vilnius or Kaunas to Klaipėda, the seaside resorts or other Lithuanian cities. It is also a great place to stop and charge when travelling from the seaside to Kaunas or Vilnius, as it is easily accessible from both directions.”
Minister of Energy Dainius Kreivys, who attended the event, says that the development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure is gaining momentum.
“The growth in the number of electric vehicles is gaining momentum, and we are aiming for Lithuania to have around 120,000 electric cars by 2030. A key condition for this ambitious goal is convenient and well-developed vehicle charging station infrastructure. The electric vehicle charging hub now being built next to one of our most important highways marks new trends in the development of such facilities and will make a significant contribution to the development of national infrastructure,” said Minister of Energy Dainius Kreivys.
According to the minister, around 60,000 public and private charging stations are needed to ensure convenient travel by electric vehicle in Lithuania.
Vice-Minister of Transport and Communications Agnė Vaiciukevičiūtė said at the event that developing e-mobility in Lithuania requires not only financial support and other measures implemented by the state and municipalities, but also coordinated action by institutions and business.
“In my view, to implement the requirements set by the European Union and national requirements, coordinated private initiatives and joint work are very important in changing the travel habits of society and business to greener ones, and the private sector should also take the initiative. Today's example is excellent proof of how modern business can adapt and respond to the changing needs of society,” says A. Vaiciukevičiūtė.
Raseiniai District Mayor Arvydas Nekrošius said he was pleased with the investment and that Raseiniai municipality had been chosen for a project of this kind: “We always try to highlight this district's excellent strategic location – it is the very centre of Lithuania. So it is especially gratifying that this has finally been noticed and appreciated by the developers of this project. It is even more gratifying that this project is in line with our overall municipal strategy, which is to develop innovative and environmentally friendly solutions. That is why our own strategic plan also provides for developing an electric vehicle charging network in the town, as it helps attract more tourists and, at the same time, more revenue.”
According to the Lithuanian Road Administration, around 28,000 cars travel along this road every day.
Kęstutis Faktorovičius, head of Kenova, the company developing the project, says the project is unique not only in its purpose but also in its technological solutions. “We are very pleased with this and other joint projects with Eldrive. This is truly no ordinary project, and one that Lithuania really needed given the growth of the electric vehicle market. We faced many challenges in developing the idea for this charging hub and are very proud of the new concept created together with our partners. This project is an example of the future, which is why the chosen design and solutions are innovative and connected with the world of the future,” says K. Faktorovičius.
One of the project's main partners is Reitan Convenience Lithuania, which operates the Caffeine and Narvesen café chain in Lithuania and other countries. The company's head in Lithuania, Saulius Žilėnas, says this new concept will be a long-awaited innovation in the highway market: “We see that the Lithuanian highway market has long been settled, without major innovations or news. We believe that this exceptional project, the first on the country's main highway, will surprise and delight those travelling on our country's roads. The location itself is truly excellent – the very middle of the highway, clearly visible from both sides of the highway.”
According to the head of Reitan Convenience Lithuania, the menus of both cafés will also be adapted for these locations: “Our customers can also look forward to a few new things – we will add new snacks to our traditional menu. So we are very much looking forward to the opening of this facility and believe in its success.”
Edvard Sokolovskij, head of the construction company carrying out the project, says that this and other electric vehicle charging hub projects are a welcome challenge for the whole team. “Our team is proud to be part of this project. We are grateful for the opportunity to cooperate and contribute to the delivery of electric vehicle charging infrastructure on the country's main roads. As we are already building the second hub of this kind, the team has gained specific experience, so we expect to fulfil all our commitments on schedule while meeting all of the client's expectations to a high standard,” says E. Sokolovskij, head of UAB HiLTUS.
Construction of the first hub began in May.
According to the head of Eldrive, this charging hub is one of many that will start operating in our country over the next few years: “In Lithuania, charging locations are very unevenly distributed. We have a lot of charging stations in the major cities, but very few on the main roads or in the regions. At the end of May, we started building the first charging hub of this type in the Panevėžys district. It will be identical to this one and will open its doors this year.”
T. Tamašauskas explains that similar charging hubs already exist around the world, but they are developed next to existing destinations: “Charging stations on the road are usually installed at various destinations, such as shopping and entertainment centres, restaurants, hotels or fuel stations. We wanted to create a new concept and a unique destination. The idea for this hub was born from the problems electric vehicle drivers in Lithuania used to face: a small number of stations at one location, which led to queues, and insufficient station power, which significantly lengthened charging times – all of which made planning journeys by electric vehicle difficult. Our charging hub, with a large number of very powerful stations, will create the right conditions for using electric vehicles to be convenient, reliable and accessible to everyone. Charging an electric vehicle can take anywhere from a dozen or so minutes to a little over an hour, so naturally people need somewhere to spend that time, especially in Lithuania, where we have both cold winters and many rainy days. In addition, traditional fuel stations have created new trends, with people increasingly stopping there not only for fuel but also to drink coffee or eat. We aim to adapt to this too, so together with our partners at Reitan Convenience we will offer visitors a new concept for their brands.”
According to the latest data, more than 14,000 electric vehicles are registered in Lithuania, and their number is expected to reach several hundred thousand by 2030. In total, more than 1,000 slow (AC) charging stations and around 300 fast (DC) charging stations operate in our country. In the same period in 2022, the country had a total of 333 slow and just 55 fast charging stations.
