Barcelona starts charging for electric car charging on its streets

Barcelona has a network of electric car chargers that until now could be used free of charge. From today, January 18, these charging points will become paid. This means that users of this infrastructure will have to pay an annual subscription fee in order to use the service. It is not mandatory; rather, it will allow users to enjoy a cheaper price per kWh, and it will make it easier to finance the installation of more chargers.

The annual subscription price will be 50 euros, although in the first year users will enjoy a 50% discount, so the subscription price will be 25 euros. For professionals, the cost will rise to 100 euros, which with the first-year discount will be 50 euros. Those who charge electric motorcycles will pay 25 euros.

The city council justifies this subscription as a way to make investments in more and better battery charging points for electric cars in the city. The city currently has 512 charging points. Of these, 367 are located in B:SM car parks, while 145 are installed on the city’s streets.

The plan is to install 55 more charging points within the next 3 years. It is expected that 16 more charging points will be installed this year, while each of the following years will add at least five more, until that figure is reached. Currently there are 5,000 subscribers to Barcelona’s electric charger network, who will be affected by this new rule.

The charging price is set in ranges that go from 0.22 kWh to 0.49 kWh. The price depends on whether the charger is located in a car park, which is cheaper, or on the street, and on the time of day the charging takes place. Those who are not subscribed will also be able to charge their electric vehicles, although the price per kWh will be considerably higher.