Lidl is preparing for something in Hungary: is paid system on the way?
It is possible that the design change of electric chargers in Hungary is already a precursor to the introduction of a pay-as-you-go system. Lidl seems to be the pioneer in this.
According to villanyautosok.hu, the previous green and white colours have been replaced by blue and yellow at some Lidl charging stations, and the word “free” has disappeared from the slogan. Instead of the previous “Fast, free and environmentally friendly charging” slogan, the current one is “Shopping and charging”.
Chargers have been available in Lidl car parks in Hungary since 2016, including 50 kW DC, 20 kW DC and 22 kW AC chargers. They are still free in Hungary, but in many countries they are not any longer. The Hungarian Electromobility Association (Magyar Elektromobilitás Egyesület) has previously proposed the introduction of a loyalty scheme and 24-hour opening hours after the introduction of the charging system.
The idea that E.V.s are environmentally friendly is one of the biggest con-jobs ever perpetrated against humanity, comparable to cigarettes having been marketed as healthful back in the day. And just like fools were falling for it en masse back then, they’re falling for it now, too. Plus ça change!
EV´s are definitely controversial when it comes to analyzing how green they truly are. But anyone doing even a little bit of back ground reading knows that EV´s are not the biggest con-jobs in humanity. They are more environmentally friendly than traditional fossil fuel powered vehicles. NY Times has good article about it: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/02/climate/electric-vehicles-environment.html
Also EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) has good article to debunk myths about EV´s, including environmental concerns. https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/electric-vehicle-myths