We, the undersigned associations, welcome the ambition of the European Parliament to strengthen the Commission’s proposal for the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR). Together, we represent the entire EV charging ecosystem – from grid operators to charging point operators and eMSPs to EV users.
From the TRAN and ITRE draft reports to some of the amendments tabled in ENVI, we are observing a welcome tendency towards setting ambitious targets for charging infrastructure deployment across Europe. We welcome, in principle, the fact that a capacity-based approach is maintained, closely linking the uptake of charging infrastructure to the future development of the EV market. We applaud this ambition, and share the aim of building a dense, accessible and user-friendly charging network across the entire Union.
In this letter we call on the EU to pursue the trajectory of “rollout before retrofits”. We set out our proposals for what we regard as a sensible compromise on key provisions, ensuring that the regulation remains workable for industry while making charging accessible to all and meeting consumer expectations.