The 21,562 Finnish drivers of electric vehicles will have it easier, as both parking and charging can be managed with a single application. The collaboration between EasyPark, which provides mobile parking payment services, and Ensto, which specializes in electrification solutions, has begun with smart charging points that have be installed in the Silkkiparkki parking area in Tikkurila. In Tikkurila, the charging points are operated by Smart Park Finland. Even though the number of charging stations keeps increasing, more are still needed. At the end of June, there were 818 public charging stations in Finland, and those charging stations hosted a total of 2,408 basic charging points.
According to the statistical information published by Technology Industries Finland in August 2019, the Finnish electric vehicle fleet has increased by 39% this year. At the moment, there are as many as 21,562 electric vehicles rolling on the streets and roads of Finland. Of these, 18,039 are hybrids and 3,523 are fully-electric vehicles. In order for the fleet to increase as planned, the drivers need more charging points. EasyPark and Ensto have built together a solution that can be used for the payment of both parking and charging fees.
“Charging and parking are an integral part of the everyday life of EV drivers. Neither of these operations is, however, all that exciting. Since both parking and charging are often subject to a fee, we started seeking a smarter and easier solution in collaboration with Ensto. Now, when a person is paying for the parking fee, they can also start and pay for the charging,” says EasyPark’s Country Manager Aleksi Kolehmainen, who also drives an electric vehicle.
The charging devices installed in the Silkkiparkki parking area in Tikkurila contain smart technology. The new devices are equipped with an internet connection, so the charging can also be started and stopped remotely via the EasyPark solution, if necessary. Many drivers recognize the situation in which running errands takes either more or less time than anticipated. If the parking has been paid for with coins or a card in advance, the driver often pays too much or too little for the parking. The same goes for the charging of an electric vehicle.
“The new technology also facilitates the maintenance of the charging devices and the resolution of any problematic situations. Thanks to the smart technology, EV charging is not only quicker but also safer, which is particularly important as the fully-electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular,” notes Margit Salminen, Sales Manager of Ensto's EV charging solutions.
EV drivers no longer have to google for possible charging locations. The map in the EasyPark application shows the location of the closest device that provides electricity for vehicles. The EV charging devices are displayed as icons in connection with the parking areas show on the map. Moreover, a list of the charging devices can be viewed via the My Pages service featured in the application. If the address of the desired charging device is known, it can be used for searching for the device in the application. The application also includes a parking area navigator that guides the driver to the parking area that is most likely to contain available parking spaces. At the moment, the EasyPark parking area navigator can be used in Helsinki, Turku, Tampere, and Lahti.
“When the EV charging station and the most likely available parking space can be found quickly and easily, the amount of unnecessary driving is reduced. This saves both the environment and the driver’s nerves,” Kolehmainen from EasyPark sums up.
EasyPark Oy, Aleksi Kolehmainen, Country Director, Finland
tel. +358 40 674 3855, aleksi.kolehmainen@easypark.net
Ensto Finland Oy, Margit Salminen, Sales Manager, EV charging
tel. +358 40 512 0892, margit.salminen@ensto.com
Ensto Oy, Pia Hänninen, Head of Brand and Communications
tel. +358 400 492 142, pia.hanninen@ensto.com
Smart Park Finland, Johan Peltola, Sales Director
tel. +358 40 515 5544, johan.peltola@smartparking.fi
About EasyPark Group
Our award-winning digital services have been helping drivers manage their parking since 2001. But what we do doesn’t stop there. Our technology helps businesses, operators, and cities with parking administration, planning and management in over 1200 cities across 15 countries. What we do is make urban life easier – one parking spot at a time. Visit www.easyparkgroup.com to learn more!
Ensto in Brief
Ensto designs and provides smart electrical solutions to improve the safety, functionality, reliability and efficiency of smart grids, buildings and transportation. Ensto, an international technology company and a family business, was founded in 1958 and employs ca. 1,600 passionate professionals in Europe, the USA and Asia. In 2018, we generated turnover of 266 million euros. We believe in a better life with electricity and a more sustainable tomorrow.