Q COSTARICA — The rapid adoption of electric vehicles in Costa Rica is creating an urgent challenge: the availability of charging points.
With a growing electric fleet, more and more drivers are facing a lack of charging stations, a situation that sometimes forces them to travel long distances or drive with the constant worry of running out of battery.
In response to this need, Costa Rica’s private sector has stepped up, taking a leading role in installing electric vehicle chargers across the country in businesses, shopping centers, free trade zones, hotels, condominiums, and other locations.
This shift shows how businesses are driving the push toward cleaner transportation, making electric vehicles more accessible and convenient for everyone, offering a viable alternative for users and a strategic complement to the existing public infrastructure.
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However, one of the main challenges is the high cost associated with installing fast chargers, which limits their expansion and makes it difficult for more businesses or establishments to incorporate them.
The role of local governments then emerges as fundamental. Proper planning by municipalities is seen as an option to accelerate the availability of charging stations in high-traffic areas or areas of public interest.
“Electromobility projects in municipalities with defined budgets and plans are essential so that, in a comprehensive and sustainable way, users have more options,” Rafael Marín, gerente regional de CREV, stated.
In the absence of a more solid and structured local strategy, private initiatives have become a driving force for the growth of electromobility.
In some cases, offering charging points has become an added value for companies and free trade zones, where employees can recharge their vehicles during the workday.
The main requirements for installing private chargers are having the necessary electrical capacity on site and managing a separate meter dedicated to that operation.
While public infrastructure is progressing gradually, the private sector is providing dynamism and speed to meet the demand for chargers in the country.