Charging stations in the lighting poles in Vilnius (Lithuania)

Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, has faced a growing need to build public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. Many residents living in older apartment buildings without private parking spaces needed a reliable and affordable way to charge their vehicles overnight. Standard solutions in the form of stand-alone charging racks or wallboxes proved costly and time-consuming due to the need for project documentation, permitting and building new infrastructure.

The inChaNet solution: inChaNet s.r.o. offered an innovative and efficient solution to integrate AC charging stations directly into existing lighting poles in Vilnius. This approach enabled:

• Fast and economical implementation: Using existing lighting cabling with sufficient spare capacity to connect charging stations (up to 7.4 kW) significantly reduced installation costs and accelerated the entire construction process.
• Availability of charging for residents: The strategic location of charging points at apartment buildings without private parking spaces provided easy access to overnight charging for the general public.
• Minimising encroachment on urban space: Integration into the existing infrastructure eliminates the need for new stand-alone structures, thus preserving the aesthetics of the city.

Result and future:

Vilniaus Apšvietimas currently uses already 760 inChaNet charging stations integrated into the lighting poles. This solution has proven to be crucial for the development of electromobility in Vilnius, providing residents with convenient and affordable charging. Vilnius plans to extend this network to 2000 charging points by 2030.