Vilnius unveils plans for new electric car charging stations

The Lithuanian capital Vilnius has announced that it is expanding its network of fast-charging stations for electric vehicles, in a bid to respond to the growing number of electric cars in use in the city.

The Mayor of Vilnius, Remigijus Šimašius, along with Minister of Energy, Zygmunt Vaičiūnas, and CEO of the Ignitis Group, Darius Mplazėnas, officially opened a fast-charging station on 15 October 2019. Fifty-nine charging stations for high-power electric vehicles will be installed this year, most of which will be able to recharge an electric car in just 30 minutes. There are now 57 charging stations for electric vehicles, of which 50 are new.

"The number of electric vehicles in the capital is steadily growing and this is an integral part of a modern-looking city” said the Mayor. “I have no doubt that electric mobility will keep growing, and the municipality will continue to provide convenient infrastructure to encourage greener transport.”

The electric vehicle charging stations are located throughout the entire municipality of Vilnius, as well as in remote areas, such as Grigiškės and new Vilnia. Moreover, charging stations will also be installed on the highway to allow residents to quickly recharge when entering or leaving the city. Current electric vehicles can travel, on average, between 100 to 250 km on a single charge.

The expansion of the network of charging stations is part of a broader effort to promote clean vehicles in Vilnius. Other initiatives include exempting electric vehicles from having to pay parking fees.