A recent analysis conducted by T&E reveals that there has been a threefold increase in the number of EV public chargers across the EU within the last three years. By the end of 2023, the bloc boasted more than 630,000 charge points, with the charging network expanding at a faster rate compared to the growth of the electric vehicle fleet.

The analysis, which examines national charging networks and projects the growth of the EV fleet, indicates that most EU countries had already achieved their 2024 EU targets for public charging infrastructure by 2023. This assessment aligns with the EU Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR). Under this regulation, each country is assigned annual targets based on a ratio of total charging power output and the number of electric cars in circulation.

According to T&E, Portugal, Hungary, and Lithuania are expected to meet their 2024 targets by the December 31 deadline, despite not having reached them yet. Greece and Ireland face more significant challenges, but T&E believes they can still achieve their targets by rapidly expanding infrastructure this year. Luxembourg, Cyprus, and Malta are also behind schedule, but due to the small size of their EV fleets, they can easily meet the targets with modest increases in new chargers.

Fabian Sperka, vehicles policy manager at T&E, highlighted the significant progress in charging infrastructure, historically considered a barrier to electric vehicle adoption. He emphasized the necessity for governments to exceed EU targets to incentivize more drivers to switch. Sperka commented the importance of installing additional charging capacity in high-traffic areas, streamlining payment systems, and enforcing stricter regulations on malfunctioning chargers.

T&E urges EU governments to surpass the minimum requirements of AFIR and consider the following:

• Forecast future charging demand to prevent congestion.

• Establish fast-charging hubs every 60 km on major roads by 2025, ahead of AFIR's 2030 deadline, and expand targets to other key national routes.

• Implement decentralized charging targets based on regional or provincial EV adoption rates.

• Mandate charge point operators to maintain a minimum annual uptime of 98% at public chargers to address malfunctioning infrastructure.

• Streamline permitting processes and administrative procedures across the EU to reduce red tape for grid operators. Focus public financial support on areas experiencing market failure, such as underutilized infrastructure lacking private investment.