Popular supermarket chains have long been trying to attract electric car owners by installing chargers in their parking lots. However, it is slowly ceasing to be an element of marketing and becoming an adaptation to new regulations.
Specifically, this concerns the regulations according to which, by 2025, every property that is not a residential building and has a parking lot with more than 20 parking spaces must have an electric vehicle charger. The law doesn’t dictate the charging power required or the number of chargers, but stores like Lidl don’t intend to opt for the lower option.
Currently, the chargers can only be found in selected Lidl stores and there are currently more than 60 of them throughout Poland, which are stations that allow so-called fast charging, that is, using direct current, but currently only with a power of 50 kilowatts. Therefore, we are dealing with older types of chargers, and when installing stations in subsequent stores, we can expect higher powers (exceeding 100 kW). Currently, in Lidl car parks you will find:
- Stations equipped with 3 connectors (AC: Type2, DC: CCS, DC: CHAdeMO) that allow two cars to be charged at the same time (one on the AC connector and one on the DC connector),
- Stations equipped with two connectors (DC: CCS, DC: CHAdeMO) or one connector (AC: Type2) allow one car to be charged at the same time,
As mentioned, placing the chargers next to Lidl stores is a promotion for the chain and an incentive for electrical users to come here to shop. So currently shipping under Lidl is free, but there are some caveats. First, the maximum vehicle charging time is one hour, and the charger itself is only active during store hours.
Such restrictions are understandable, although controversial among some. Actual customers of the store point out that anyone can use the charger and there is no verification system. On the other hand, people who don’t intend to make purchases point out that sometimes a free charger is worth its weight in gold, and that they would gladly pay for shipping if it were available 24 hours a day.
So far, no one is talking about such plans in Poland, but experiences from other countries suggest that such a change might happen. Lidl already charges shipping fees in the Czech Republic, for example, and as of November 20, you’ll also have to pay shipping fees in front of stores in Switzerland.
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