In 2022, the National Administration of Power Plants and Electrical Transmissions (UTE) plans to double the 147 charging points for electric vehicles, with the aim of promoting the government's strategy of decarbonization in transport, reported its president, Silvia Emaldi.
The service is freely accessible and is offered at service stations, public spaces and, as of the agreement signed on March 7 with the company Macromercado, at large stores throughout Uruguay.
The agreement was signed at the headquarters of the energy entity and includes the placement of electric vehicle charging points in the commercial firm's facilities, both for its own activity and for public use.
The head of UTE explained to the Presidential Communication that the initiative is part of a set of actions that the agency, in coordination with the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining, develops to promote electric mobility. This initiative constitutes a central element in the government's decarbonization strategy designed for the 2020-2024 period.
Currently "there are 147 charging points installed throughout the country and this number will double this year to meet the goal of having a charging center every 50 kilometers on national routes," said Emaldi.
He added that, of that total, 40 points are direct current, fast charging, with which the user can obtain a range of 150 kilometers in approximately 30 minutes.
The hierarch recalled that the state company has already made similar agreements with Ancap, to install other charging points at service stations throughout the country; with the municipalities, to do the same, but in public spaces and, from March 7, those that will be located in large surfaces are incorporated with this agreement.
The service for electric vehicles is publicly accessible and provided by UTE through the Electric Vehicle Power Supply System (SAVE). The devices will be located, in this case, in the parking lots of the facilities that the commercial firm defines.
To use one of these points, users must have the Charging Card provided by UTE, with signature of the electricity supply contract at charging stations for electric vehicles managed by the entity and, for the collection, the tariff schedule is applied.
The location of each station can be viewed through the UTE Mueve application. The system uses geolocation to indicate to the user where the nearest service is located, offer information on availability and allow historical consultation of the charging sessions carried out. ■