Elektrum Eesti to install 170 rapid chargers at Olerex filling stations
Each of the five sites currently features two 300 kW charging columns, each equipped with two CCS connectors. However, that is not the configuration planned for all 62 sites: rapid chargers with outputs of up to 150 kW are also on the agenda. The partners have yet to provide details regarding the specific distribution of charging capacities across further locations.
What is clear, however, is that a further 28 rapid charging columns are scheduled to go online by the end of this year. In total, 170 high-power chargers will be installed at 62 Olerex stations as part of the partnership.
The aim is to establish “one of the most powerful and nationwide EV charging networks in Estonia.” According to Agnes Makk, CEO of Elektrum Eesti, the planned charging infrastructure expansion will not focus solely on motorway filling stations. Rapid chargers will also be installed in “smaller towns, on larger islands, and in border areas”.
Like Lithuanian utility Ignitis, which plans to build up to 600 rapid charging stations across Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia by the end of 2027, Elektrum Eesti and Olerex have received funds under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). For this particular project, the support amounts to €1.9 million. However, the overall investment has not been communicated.
It remains unclear whether the rapid chargers will also be suitable for electric trucks and vans, or if they are intended exclusively for passenger EVs. Piret Miller, CEO of Olerex, merely said: “Good availability of fast charging is also essential for companies using electric vans and trucks, which require a reliable partner for their daily logistics. Our goal is to make EV use a real option even in regions where charging opportunities have been limited.”
Andrus Liivand, Management Board Member of Elektrum Eesti, suggested that trucks and vans could be charged at certain locations: “Elektrum’s investment of over 50 million euros will create more than 1,000 Elektrum Drive charging points across Estonia by the end of the decade. By the end of 2025, there will be 330 Elektrum Drive charging points in Estonia, over 600 by the end of 2026, and 800 by the end of 2027.”
“The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has emphasized the need to ensure charging infrastructure every 100 kilometres along European transit corridors – for both passenger cars and trucks. The cooperation between Elektrum and Olerex brings us very close to making this a reality.”
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