The Deputy Minister of Energy, Umid Mamadaminov, announced the reconnection of electric vehicle charging stations that had been disconnected for unknown reasons in mid-December 2024.
According to him, while only 1,172 electric vehicles were imported into Uzbekistan from 2016 to 2020, the figures increased to 1,254 in 2021, 3,641 in 2022, 21,469 in 2023, and 16,471 in 2024. Currently, the total number of electric cars in the country reaches 44,000, with over 25,000 located in Tashkent.
The Deputy Head of the Ministry of Energy noted that, according to international practice, there should be at least one charging station for every 10-15 electric vehicles. Therefore, Uzbekistan needs to install at least 2,934 charging stations, including 1,650 in the capital.
“In mid-December, a raid was conducted by the relevant authorities to assess the compliance of sub-consumers with certain requirements. After the assessment, a number of charging stations were disconnected from the power grid on the same day. Following the intervention of the Ministry of Energy, the stations that were found to have no deficiencies were reconnected. Only 11 stations that did not meet technical and other requirements were given time to resolve their documentation issues. As of today, they are also connected to the grid, and there are no disconnected charging stations in Tashkent,” said Umid Mamadaminov.
However, the Deputy Minister of Energy emphasized that entrepreneurs who have installed charging stations as sub-consumers must contact the branches of the “Regional Electric Networks” to modify their technical requirements and determine capacities. Currently, out of 500 charging stations in the capital, only 103 meet the technical conditions.
As of November 1, 2024, Uzbekistan imported 5,417 electric vehicle charging stations, which required the preparation of technical documentation for each unit of imported product, the official noted.
“Starting next year, conveniences and benefits are planned to be provided for charging station owners. According to the project of the decree currently being developed, during peak hours—morning from 6:00 to 10:00 and evening from 17:00 to 22:00—higher coefficients for charging electric vehicles will be applied, while lower coefficients will be applicable at night,” announced the Ministry of Energy.
Disconnections of Charging Stations
In mid-December, Spot reported, citing several market participants, about the forced disconnection of electric vehicle charging stations in Uzbekistan. One company reported approximately 20 disconnected stations, mainly located in Tashkent. Another company noted that there were "quite a few" stations disconnected from the power grid.
Market participants reported that they were not warned about the disconnections and were not provided with legal documents. Companies learned about them post-factum during the monitoring of the stations' operations.
Entrepreneurs lamented that regardless of the operation of charging stations, they still have obligations to pay rent and other fees. Additionally, the disconnection of stations led to customer dissatisfaction, which harms the reputation of the companies.
Furthermore, on December 14, one company received letters from the district cadastral departments of Tashkent, demanding the dismantling of charging stations installed in the parking lots of cafes and restaurants, business centers, and on adjacent territories within 15 days.
The press secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Hasan Toshkhodjaev, stated to Spot that no restrictions on the operation of charging stations were imposed by the ministry. He emphasized that the Ministry of Energy supports the promotion of electric vehicles in Uzbekistan.
Deputy of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis, Nuriddin Sultonov, submitted a parliamentary inquiry regarding the disconnected charging stations to the Ministry of Energy and the Cadastral Agency.
Previously, Spot reported that the number of electric vehicle charging stations in Tashkent doubled since May.