EIT Urban Mobility: EV Charging from Lampposts
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The Challenge
In Central and Eastern Europe, the adoption of electric vehicles is hampered by a lack of accessible and affordable public charging infrastructure. Cities face high costs, complex regulations, and slow deployment timelines when installing traditional chargers.
Urban residents without private parking have few alternatives, while municipalities hesitate to invest in infrastructure without clear demand.
Beneficiary
- Urban residents in Brașov who now have access to public charging
- The Municipality of Brașov, gaining scalable, low-cost infrastructure
- SimpleCharge, which validated its solution in Romania
- Public authorities and cities across Eastern Europe seeking replicable EV solutions
Delivered by
The Romanian pilot was led by Iceberg+ with local support from the Metropolitan Agency for Sustainable Development Brașov and the Municipality of Brașov.
SimpleCharge provided the charging technology. The pilot was part of a multi-country initiative co-funded by EIT Urban Mobility.
Project partners:
- VEFRESH (Latvia) – Lead partner
- SimpleCharge SIA (Latvia) – Technology Developer & Commercial Partner
- ICEBERG PLUS SRL (Romania) – Romanian Pilot Implementation & Stakeholder Coordination
- ŠKODA AUTO (Czech Republic) – Technical Validation & Testing
- REGEA (Croatia) – Croatian Site Coordination
- Cities of Samobor and Osijek (Croatia) – Pilot sites
* This project was co-funded by EIT Urban Mobility, an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.
The
Solution
EV chargers
The project implemented the SimpleCharge solution—EV chargers installed directly on public lampposts.
These devices connect to existing lamppost infrastructure, avoiding costly construction or grid upgrades. Iceberg+ oversaw site selection, permits, installation, stakeholder engagement, and public awareness efforts.
The
Impact
10 charging stations installed on public lampposts in Brașov
Advanced Brașov’s smart city and sustainability goals
Demonstrated fast, replicable model for urban EV infrastructure
Stimulated national interest and public-private collaboration around EV adoption
The
Timeline
01 January 2023 – 31 March 2024
Jan–Mar 2023
Stakeholder engagement, site assessments, and permits
Apr 2023 – Mar 2024
Equipment installation, testing, promotion, and follow-up
The
Results
lamppost-based EV charging stations operational in Brașov
Demonstration event and live test at Lux Divina
Participation in national innovation events (TechForward, FIT EDIH)
Strengthened ties between Iceberg+, public authorities, and EU mobility networks
Contributed to scaling up affordable EV charging across Central and Eastern Europe
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