In February, the total number of registered electric vehicles in Belarus exceeded the figure of 2500 units. Especially popular among Belarusians are budget Chinese electric cars, which continue to arrive in Belarus in large numbers.
In the near future, according to car dealers, several thousand Chinese cars of such brands as BYD, Higer, BAIC, GAC and others will arrive in Belarus. However, in addition to the attractive price and variety of the model range, the owners of Chinese electric vehicles face unexpected difficulties.
Chinese electric cars have their own specifics and in some aspects are seriously different from both American and European cars. First of all, this concerns the fact that electric cars in China have their own charging standard GB/T, for which there is no charging infrastructure in Belarus.
The map clearly shows that connectors with a charge of the European type are located in Western Europe, Australia, South America, some African countries (marked in green on the map) and stations with such connectors are installed, including in Belarus, the American and Asian continents are equipped with connectors completely different standards America adopted CCS type 1 (light blue), in China - GB/T (light blue).
In such a situation, adapters come to the rescue of car owners. However, due to the fact that many drivers use non-certified adapters, serious problems can arise during charging: a short circuit when connected to the station through an adapter can lead to blocking or even a fire in the electric car.
Specialists of the national network operator EZS Malanka note that up to 200 new users are registered in the mobile application every month. Stations carry out an average of 250 charging sessions daily, and over the past two months their total number has exceeded 15000 sessions.
The use of non-certified adapters leads to the fact that the car owner cannot charge: out of 10 attempts, more than half are unsuccessful. In order to avoid problems, experts recommend converting the connector to a European type at service stations. The cost of refurbishment starts from 400 USD.
The process of re-equipment of connectors will allow not only to avoid problems with charging on the territory of not only Belarus, but also in other European countries, where electric owners will go to their cars.
— In a month, up to 5 drivers turn to us with a request to re-equip the connector. The high cost of retrofitting especially Chinese electric vehicles is due to the fact that the “Chinese” have software features. Even if the driver prefers to use an adapter immediately after buying an electric car, then after a month or two he still requests a rework, since adapters are fraught with problems when charging. Some ECDs simply do not recognize adapters, making charging impossible. Also, when using adapters, there is a high probability of an error when charging, when the station simply blocks the electric car. And it is not always possible to unlock it with the help of adapters. Also, the use of adapters imposes a limitation on the charge speed, - Evgeny Shved, a specialist in one of the capital's service stations, will clarify.
Malanka, the national operator of the EZS network, is ready to assist electric motorists:
— We offer drivers who are converting the connector of their electric car to the European standard, during the purchase and test drive of their electric car, stop by the Malanka station. Our specialists will remotely monitor the process of charging your electric car and help you deal with the charging session from the moment the station is launched to the moment the battery is fully charged., - explains the head of the department for the operation of the charging infrastructure of the Belorusneft Production Association Maxim Susarenko.
Experts recommend that when buying an electric car, make sure that its charging connector is suitable for stations with connectors in the European region. In the case of using adapters, it is recommended to make sure that there is a certificate from the manufacturer, which confirms its performance and safety. If the driver still decides to convert the connector or when purchasing an adapter, Malanka recommends that you come to the EZS for testing and correct adjustment of the converted connector by the specialists of the Malanka dispatch center.
