Safe charging stations in public spaces
It is important that electrical equipment in public places is safe. That is why the grid operators set certain requirements for equipment and installations that are connected to the public electricity grid. This applies to, for example, parking meters, public lighting and therefore also charging stations.
Before charging stations can be placed in the public domain, they are therefore inspected. This way everyone can be sure that charging stations meet the safety standard and function optimally. At the bottom of this page you will find the charging stations that are currently approved.
ElaadNL facilitates the inspection of charging stations. A clear process has been developed for this, so that every inspection takes place in the same way. The manufacturer approval process consists of five simple steps:
If this process has been successfully completed, the charging station will be added to the list of approved charging stations and may be connected in public spaces throughout the Netherlands! We also cordially invite manufacturers to add a copy of the approved charging station to the ElaadNL Testplein. For example, we can include these in interoperability and Smart Charging tests with electric vehicles.
The document ‘Connection specifications for charging objects 3x25A – 3x80A‘ (downloadable at the bottom of this section, also in Dutch) forms the basis on which the inspection service inspects the grid operator’s part of new charging objects models for admission to the electricity grid. The inspection service is coordinated from ElaadNL and the inspection is performed by experts from the collaborating network operators. The requirements have been drawn up in such a way that a safe and reliable connection to the public electricity grid is guaranteed.
The development of these specifications is an important step towards further standardization of the technology in charging objects. The document is mainly intended for producers of these charging objects. The advantage for charge point producers and parties that put charge points on the market is that the grid manager part of a charge point only needs to be inspected once and can then be used throughout the Netherlands in all service areas of the different grid managers.
An important condition is that a smart meter is placed in the charging objects. This smart meter makes it possible to read and exchange measurement data remotely. To substantiate this connectivity, we request that a connectivity test be performed in the current Connection Specifications, in which a maximum damping has been set for the housing. The connection specifications are also suitable for heavier connections, up to 3x80A. This forms the basis for faster charging, which is in line with the trend of new electric cars entering the market. The publications are more widely applicable than just charging stations. They are also suitable for other charging objects such as charging lanterns.
Charging objects that have not yet been approved have been inspected since 2018 on the basis of the Connection Specifications. From April 1, 2023, all new charging objects to be installed must at least comply with the updated Connection Specifications, version 3.0. The smart meter connectivity test protocol is available at the bottom of this page.
Request additional information about the connectivity tests from me. An overview of (previously) approved charging objects can be found below.
Charging stations and lamp posts both require a connection to the energy grid, but they also both have their own specific properties. As a result, there are clear differences between these objects. When integrating both into charging lamp posts, there are a number of points to consider. Based on practical examples from previous pilots and future developments, the charging lamp posts information sheet discusses the differences and offers important points for attention when realizing charging lamp posts.
Below are the public charging stations approved by the grid operators with an integrated grid connection. These charging stations can be safely and reliably connected in public spaces to the electricity grid throughout the Netherlands. In order to also be approved, we use a standard process for this grid operator inspection.
Note: The grid operator’s approval is only intended to ensure a safe and reliable connection to the public electricity grid. A charging solution without an integrated grid connection can therefore not be inspected according to the grid operator’s inspection.
The table below provides an overview of the charging stations that are currently approved in accordance with Connection Specifications v2.1, and have therefore successfully passed the grid operator’s inspection.
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