MEPs vote to bring Europe’s charging station network up to speed
Ramp up targets for public chargers and allow card payments everywhere, the European Parliament says.
The European Parliament has backed electric car charging targets that, if accepted by governments, would ensure that drivers can publicly re-charge in every corner of Europe by 2025 at the latest. Green group Transport & Environment (T&E) welcomed today’s vote for the Alternative Infrastructure Regulation to require charging hubs every 60km along major roads and comprehensive coverage on minor roads and in towns and cities too.
Drivers could expect to easily find charging in central and eastern Europe as the Parliament wants higher charger-per-vehicles targets for countries with low electric vehicle take-up. In more mature EV markets, countries would be required to provide 1kW of charging per battery electric vehicle on the road. This allows governments the flexibility to decide if more fast chargers or slow charging stations will meet the needs of their road users. Crucially, drivers would be able to use their bank cards to pay at every public charger in Europe.
Fabian Sperka, vehicles policy manager at T&E, said: “For years anxiety over infrastructure has held back the electrification of road transport. This law should calm any fears and ensure that charging will always keep pace with EVs on the road.”
Electric trucks would also have plenty of public charge points under the Parliament’s proposed targets. EU countries would be required to have 2,000kW charging capacity every 60km along the bloc’s main transport routes (TEN-T core network) in 2025, rising to 5,000kW in 2030. From 2030 onwards the targets will apply to the entire TEN-T road network. Recharging at a 700-900kW charger during a mandatory driver rest-break is enough for almost all trucks to complete their daily journey.
By 2027, the Parliament wants hydrogen truck refuelling infrastructure every 100km along the TEN-T network. MEPs did not remove the European Commission’s proposal for an LNG refuelling network on core routes by 2025. T&E said EU lawmakers should focus on supporting clean truck technologies which are market ready.
T&E called on EU governments to rise to the ambition set by MEPs for car and truck charging when they enter negotiations with the Parliament to finalise the law. Transport Ministers want far weaker targets for car charging while for trucks they would only mandate 1,400kw charging capacity, up to 120km apart, on just 15% of the road network for 2025.
Fabian Sperka said: “Everyone from manufacturers to hauliers says zero emissions trucks need charging infrastructure to flourish. MEPs are heeding their call by backing targets for a comprehensive network of re-charging stations. The Parliament needs to stand up for green trucking in negotiations with governments, which only want a fraction of the network.”
