Q COSTARICA — Costa Rica is charging ahead on electric mobility. The rapid growth of electric vehicles in Costa Rica is increasing the pressure on the electrical grid.
As a result, the country faces the challenge of expanding its charging and storage infrastructure to support a transition that is progressing faster than installed capacity.
This scenario is explained by the increasing use of electricity in more activities and the growing number of electric vehicles on the road.
Consequently, energy demand is increasing, highlighting the need to better prepare the grid for what’s to come.
Between December 2020 and September 2024, the electric vehicle fleet grew by 507%, positioning the country as a regional leader, but also underscoring the need to accelerate infrastructure development to make this progress sustainable.
Globally, this trend reinforces the challenge. By 2024, public charging stations surpassed 5 million, having added more than 1.3 million in a single year, while ultra-fast charging systems grew by more than 50%, reflecting an accelerated transformation in energy consumption.
In Costa Rica, Law 9518 Incentivos y Promoción Para el Transporte Eléctrico (Incentives and Promotion for Electric Transport) establishes parameters for the deployment of charging stations, including minimum distances on national and cantonal highways, and maintains the promotion of electric transportation as a public policy. However, the challenge goes beyond regulatory compliance.
The pressure on the grid and the need to guarantee operational continuity are driving the incorporation of energy storage, which is key to managing demand and providing backup power during critical times.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global battery capacity reached 124 GW in 2024, while project costs fell by approximately 40%.
Hugo Mejías, commercial manager of BC Ingeniería, said the focus should be on system capacity: “The conversation can no longer center solely on how many electric cars are on the road, but rather on how prepared the infrastructure is to support this transition. Chargers and storage are not a luxury; they are part of the new energy security.”
The challenge could intensify; in fact, the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) warned that Costa Rica’s electricity demand could quadruple by 2050, increasing the urgency of expanding the grid.
“If the charging network isn’t expanded and energy storage isn’t integrated, the growth of electric mobility could outpace the system’s capacity,” Mejías concluded.