Croatia powers up

An exciting new EU-backed project is putting electric vehicle users all over Europe in the driving seat. As a trusted partner, Deutsche Telekom is helping to revolutionize e-charging and create a seamless smart network across southeast Europe. Over seventy new charging points will enable rapidly growing markets like Croatia to stay in the fast lane.

Smart, green, and state-of-the-art: more and more consumers are transitioning to electric vehicles. The European Union fully backs this trend, cementing clean power for transport into its Europe 2020 strategy goals. It has invested 4.3 million Euros in creating an advanced corridor of fast-charging spots which will link thirty-one locations in Croatia and Romania alone. From shopping centers to gas stations, the position of each of the 69 fast and 4 ultra-fast e-chargers has been carefully considered to ensure maximum benefit for electric vehicle users.

Keep your eyes open in Zagreb and you’ll spot the first two of these charging points. Kaufland Croatia was first in line to team up with Deutsche Telekom to install these e-chargers outside their offices. Each of them features a choice of different connections, meaning that up to two vehicles can be charged at any one time. Accessibility is at the core of the vision: the spots are completely free to use and available 24/7, so any electric car user can roll up, plug in, and speed off again in record time.

Hrvatski Telekom already operates over 50% of all publicly available e-chargers in Croatia, and the last year has seen a 100% increase in the number of charging points operated by the Puni.hr network. There are currently over 100 e-chargers in 70 towns across Croatia, creating 150 charging spots possibilities. Building on this base, the latest project is another step towards an ambitious digital platform that will effortlessly connect services such as smart parking, car sharing, and intelligent public transport into a groundbreaking bundle of digital enhancements.Dino Novosel, e-mobility leader at Hrvatski Telekom, highlighted the company’s proven track record in making smart and green technologies second nature for citizens and businesses alike. With the help of apps such as PlugSurfing, more than 50,000 electric vehicle users in the EU can access charging at the touch of a button. And the possibilities don’t end there: from reserving plugs to automating billing processes, customers are given the ultimate support, mile for mile.

Discover Dino’s demonstration and other exciting updates from Deutsche Telekom’s pioneering digital projects, showcased at the Smart City Expo World Congress 2017 in Barcelona: