Despite its growth, the electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure available in the European Union is insufficient for the strong demand for EV. In addition to being insufficient, charging points are not evenly distributed across member states.
These are the main conclusions of an annual study by ACEA – European Association of Automobile Manufacturers – which assesses the progress of infrastructure and incentives needed to promote the growth of electrified vehicles in the European market.
The demand for electric vehicles in Europe has increased 110% in the last three years. During this period, however, the number of charging points grew by only 58% – demonstrating that investment in infrastructure is not keeping up with the growth in sales of electric vehicles in the old continent.
According to Eric-Mark Huitema, director general of ACEA, this reality is “potentially very dangerous”. Why? Because “Europe could reach a point where the growth in sales of electric vehicles would stop if consumers came to the conclusion that there are not enough charging points to meet their travel needs”, he says.
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Currently, one in seven charging points in Europe is a fast charger (28,586 PCR with a capacity of 22 kW or more). Whereas normal charging points (charging power less than 22 kW) represent 171 239 units.
Another of the conclusions of this ACEA study indicates that the distribution of charging infrastructure in Europe is not uniform. Four countries (the Netherlands, Germany, France and the UK) have more than 75% of the electrical charging points in Europe.
Consult Fleet Magazine for more articles on the automotive market.