Is Europe getting ready for 1 million public charging points?

News Article

The road to net zero CO2 emissions across the economy passes through the electrification of transport. 63% of the transport sector can be powered by decarbonised electricity, thus substantially reducing CO2 emissions and improving air quality. What does it take to get there and to put the first million public charging points on Europe’s roads?

Eurelectric releases today a list of five policy priorities that must be addressed during the review of the TEN-T Regulation and Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive, to enable the electrification and decarbonisation of transport.

First, policymakers should introduce new and separate ‘sustainable fuels’ definitions for light and heavy-duty vehicles as well as for maritime, in line with the carbon neutrality ambitions. The current definition of “alternative fuels” hampers the transition to e-mobility, as it puts fossil fuels and clean energy vectors on an equal footing.

Second, the coverage criteria for charging infrastructure must be revised. Eurelectric supports the creation of an EU-wide ‘safety net’ along the TEN-T core and comprehensive networks. In addition, the power sector recommends increasing the number of chargers at single locations, such as high occupancy roads.

A robust charging infrastructure is a key enabler of road transport electrification and decarbonisation. Thus, it is essential to move away from the current “sufficiency criteria” of public one charging point per 10 vehicles or one every 60 km of highway, which fails to match customer requirements or user behaviour.

Third, interoperability will be critical for seamless e-mobility experience. Drivers can’t be stopped at borders because of charging systems that would not work well together. Currently, the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive foresees interoperable principles only at connector level. But a seamless cross-border mobility at lowest cost for drivers also requires functional EV charging roaming services.

For in-depth assessments of the current legislative frameworks and concrete recommendations, read Eurelectric’s position papers: