Public EV charging network development through public-private dialogue
About this good practice
On February 2013 the city of Parma approved a Memorandum of Understanding between the Emilia Romagna Region, the Municipality of Parma, Enel Distribuzione SpA and AEM Torino Distribuzione SpA, aimed at promoting electric mobility on a regional scale. Thanks to this agreement, the Municipal Council adopted two resolutions in 2013 and in 2015 which allowed the installation of the first 11 electric charging stations in Parma. Subsequently the City Council approved a preliminary project for the location of the charging infrastructures and defined the guidelines for their expansion, and in November 2019 issued an expression of interest open to private operators willing to install electric charging station on public areas. Thanks to the agreements signed with two companies winners of this expression of interest, 81 charging stations have been installed, both with normal power (22 kW) and with rapid charging (100 kW).
The rapid increase in electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles makes an efficient and widespread charging network increasingly urgent. For this reason, in 2024 the local authority has promoted a new expression of interest to stipulate agreements with operators willing to install new ultra-rapid charging stations (over 250KW). 14 companies participated and submitted proposals; the results with the ranking of the proposals will be defined by the end of 2024 and the Municipality will begin to draw up the first agreements in 2025.
Resources needed
No direct funds, only human resources to manage the administrative procedures of the expression of interest and the related agreements with private companies
Evidence of success
Thanks to this approach, the Municipality was able to develop the urban charging network with a very limited public investment. Both expression of interests received a great attention and interest from private operators, resulting in 81 charging stations installed with the first one in 2019, and 14 operators presenting projects for the second one in 2024.
Potential for learning or transfer
The development of an on-street electric charging network is a necessary step for all cities for a successful transition in the mobility sector to meet users’ needs for fast and convenient en-route charging, and usually requires big investments. Parma developed the described approach in order to provide the urban area with a charging network with widespread public access, efficient and available 24/7, able to meet the rapid increase of electric or plug-hybrid vehicles, without the investment of big public resources.
The objective of adopting this approach was twofold: on the one hand, to guarantee an open market with the presence of different private operators – more able to keep up with the investments required by the latest charging technologies available on the market (HPC); on the other hand, to offer a charging service extended throughout the municipal territory, avoiding a concentration in a few areas of the city.
Good practice owner
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