Bidding for charging stations is not just an administrative procedure, it is a process that requires strategy, foresight and, above all, agility to face challenges in the midst of complex bureaucracy.
Winning the public competition is only the first step in a race that is full of obstacles.
The first major challenge begins when the company is awarded the contract.
Ricard Puiggròs, Senior Advisory Consultant at EAVE, explains to Mobility Portal España:
“Once you are granted the permit and you begin all the procedures, you first encounter the City Council procedures.”
The operator must be granted permission to carry out excavations in a public space, which, according to the expert, usually takes a long time.
At this point, the main and greatest challenge arises: getting the distributor to supply energy to the location where the charging station has been installed.
“We are talking about a period that can range from one to two years to obtain the necessary power at a new point,” explains Puggròs.
This delay is critical because it directly affects public perception of electric mobility.
According to the specialist, stations that are installed but not operational send a message of inefficiency and generate doubts about the viability of electric vehicles among users.
The situation is further complicated when one considers that the warranty on installed equipment starts from the moment the installation is carried out, not from the moment the charging point is operational.
This means that in many cases, businesses can see their equipment coverage expire before it has even been used once.
A potential solution to these challenges that the sector is calling for is the creation of a public map of electrical grid power.
According to the industry, the preparation of this by the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC) is crucial to improve the deployment of charging points.
How? By allowing companies to know in advance the electrical capacity available at proposed locations, which would facilitate planning and reduce delays.
However, this project, although underway, is still far from becoming a reality.
The CNMC estimates that the corresponding circular will be approved within a year, and that the map will be available for consultation in approximately two years.
The absence of this type of information generates uncertainty and forces operators to make multiple requests and procedures to evaluate the viability of each project.
This not only delays the installation of new points, but also increases the associated costs.
In Spain, of the more than 34,000 chargers available, approximately 7,000 are out of service because they are in poor condition, broken or have not yet been connected to the electricity distribution network.
The contrast with other countries is evident.
In Portugal, where information on network capacity is already available, the deployment of chargers is taking place more quickly.
This is due, in part, to a more centralized structure that facilitates both the planning and execution of new stations.
Another critical aspect is the negotiation with the owners of the locations, such as shopping malls, restaurants, and supermarkets, which have become the most coveted spots for the installation of chargers.
What makes them so attractive? Mainly, the high flow of vehicles and people who visit them, which gives great visibility to the brand that wins the tender.
This has led companies to make significant investments to ensure the allocation of these spaces.
These negotiations may include offering a percentage of turnover or a fixed monthly payment per seat.
However, even with all the challenges mentioned, companies in the sector continue to focus on expanding the charging infrastructure to promote electric mobility in the country.
