The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), Transport & Environment (T&E) and the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) are calling on the European Union (EU) to push ahead with electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The organisations call for 1 million public charging stations in the EU by 2024 and 3 million by 2029. Targets should also be set for each EU member state.
The ACEA, T&E and BEUC make their call in an open letter addressed to the European Commission. The parties advocate setting ambitious targets per EU member state for the roll-out of charging infrastructure. This would send a strong signal to consumers that the number of charging stations will be maintained in the face of rapidly rising electric vehicle sales in the EU.
Such targets also give certainty to both the automotive industry, grid operators, charging infrastructure providers and transport companies. In addition, ACEA, T&E and BEUC expect the targets to lead to one million new jobs on the continent, and can help the EU meet climate targets.
Simple and fair calculation method
The organisations call for a simple and fair calculation method for setting targets per member state. This should include the availability of private charging facilities. The organisations also call for the number of publicly available charging stations to grow in line with the number of electric vehicles on public roads.
ACEA, T&E and BEUC are calling on the EU to address the growing needs of electric vehicle owners with no or limited access to private charging facilities, as well as those of electric taxis and transport services. This by setting targets for fast and superfast chargers in urban areas. A target of some 1,000 hydrogen refuelling stations by 2029 should also be set.
'Widely available charging options needed'
"If we are serious about global warming, electrification needs to move fast. To accelerate the transition, we need widely available and easy charging options. Not just in Norway and the Netherlands, but across Europe. Setting targets for charging infrastructure per country is a good way to achieve this and the European Commission should no longer be shy about it," says William Todts, executive director at T&E.
Oliver Zipse, president of ACEA and CEO of BMW: "European carmakers are driving the transition to e-mobility and outpacing each other in launching new electric vehicles. However, the success of this effort is seriously threatened by the delayed installation of charging infrastructure in the EU. The European Commission must act quickly and set binding targets for the rollout of charging infrastructure in member states. Otherwise, even the current targets for combating climate change will be under pressure. Besides public charging infrastructure, more emphasis should also be placed on charging infrastructure at work and at home."
'Addressing practical concerns'
Monique Goyens, managing director at BEUC, added: "Charging an electric vehicle should be as easy as filling up an internal combustion engine vehicle. Sufficient - and convenient - charging infrastructure is the fast track to consumer confidence and the embrace of electric vehicles. Policymakers should therefore address practical concerns, such as reflecting charging tariffs in price per kilowatt-hour and allowing commonly available payment methods."
In their open letter, ACEA, T&E and BEUC call for European guidelines on charging infrastructure to be transposed into EU legislation. According to the organisations, this will help to harmonise, amongst other things, charging standards, payment methods, transparency regarding tariffs and maintenance across the European market. Legislation can also help ensure the rapid implementation of new targets. EU Member States must transpose a directive into national law, a process that can take years and thus cause delays.
Overly ambitious European target
This is not the first time there have been calls for more action on charging infrastructure. For example, at the end of 2020, the EU published the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Package, which sets a target of 30 million zero-emission vehicles on European roads by 2030. ACEA stated in December that this target is far from realistic.
The organisation warns, for example, that the number of zero-emission vehicles will have to increase fifty-fold in just 10 years to achieve this. Despite industry investment in zero-emission vehicles and their growing market share, ACEA says the right conditions are not available to make such a big leap. ACEA called on the European Commission to align its ambition level for the rollout of charging infrastructure with its ambition to reduce CO2 emissions from vehicles and spoke of a mismatch.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
